22-year-old influencer dies after dealing with depression and anxiety: 7 things women should do before reaching a breaking point

The recent death of social media influencer Sayoni Chakraborty has left people heartbroken and searching for answers. The young woman had posted a cheerful video with her pet cow just hours before her death. According to police and family sources, her body was recovered from her home last Thursday morning. Early investigation reports suggest she had been under stress over a relationship and ended her life. Whatever the full story, the tragedy has once again sparked conversations about the emotional toll relationship stress can take on individuals, especially women.

We all know love can be the best feeling in the world. But when things go wrong, it can just as easily become a source of anxiety, stress and deep loneliness. Heartbreak is universal, nobody gets through life without it but that doesn't mean you have to be unprepared for it. There are ways to protect your emotional health before a troubled relationship starts to consume you entirely. Here are 7 of them:

Image Courtesy: Instagram/@___s_a_y_o_n_i____

When people fall in love, it is natural for the relationship to become a significant part of their lives. The problem arises when that one person becomes your entire source of happiness, identity and purpose. Therapists often encourage women to keep friendships alive, hold on to their hobbies, and stay invested in their career. When your life has multiple things that bring you joy, one painful relationship doesn't feel like your entire world is ending. A partner should add to your life, not become the whole of it.

Relationship stress rarely hits you all at once. It builds slowly, over time. You're constantly checking your phone, you replay the same argument in your head at 2 am, you can't focus at work and you're not sleeping properly. Most people brush this off as normal relationship stuff but experts say if this kind of emotional drain is messing with your day-to-day life. If feelings of sadness, anxiety or hopelessness begin affecting your daily functioning, it is your sign to take it seriously and reach out for support.

When things go wrong in a relationship, so many people shut themselves off from everyone around them. Many women worry about being judged, being seen as ‘too emotional,’ or they tell themselves they should be able to handle it alone. But honestly? Talking to someone you trust- a friend, a sibling or anyone can give you perspective when you need clarity of thought. You don't have to wait until you're at rock bottom before you ask for help.

Being attached to someone you love is healthy. Feeling like you can't survive without them is something else entirely. If your mood rises and falls completely based on how they're treating you, if your whole sense of self-worth depends on their attention, or if you've slowly let go of your own life to keep the relationship going- that's emotional dependency, and it's worth recognizing. Therapists aren't asking you to become cold or closed off. They're just reminding you that your worth as a person has nothing to do with your relationship status.

Most of us only think about who to call when we're already falling apart. Don't wait that long. Your emotional support network- close friends, family, a therapist, a community you feel part of, is something to build during the good times, not just the bad. Think of it as an insurance policy for your mental health. You hope you never desperately need it, but having it there changes everything when things get hard.

A lot of people assume counseling or therapy is only for severe mental health crises. It really isn't. In reality, if you are struggling with relationship stress, anxiety, grief or just emotional heaviness, talking to a professional is genuinely useful, not an overreaction. It helps you to work through difficult emotions without having to carry it all alone. And stop believing in old stereotypes. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it takes real strength.

When you're in the middle of heartbreak, it genuinely feels like it will never get better. That's one of the cruelest things about emotional pain, it feels permanent. It isn't. People come back from devastating breakups, they heal and rebuild. The intensity of what you feel right now is not going to last the rest of your life. With time, the right support and some self-compassion, things do change, and the pain eventually goes away.

Tragedies like Sayoni's remind us of something we keep forgetting: love matters, but it was never meant to be the only thing holding your life together. If you're going through something difficult right now- in a relationship, coming out of one, or just feeling emotionally unsteady- getting support isn't weakness. It's the most sensible thing you can do. Prioritizing your own wellbeing is not selfish, it is necessary.