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After 2 Abusive Marriages, How This Psychiatrist Found Freedom on a Solo Trip to the Northern Lights
Trigger warning: This story contains descriptions of domestic abuse, emotional trauma, and miscarriage, which may be distressing for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
In the hushed glow of Iceland’s Northern Lights, Dr Aninda Sidhana stood in awe. The sky pulsed with emerald and violet ribbons of light, and for the first time in years, she felt light.
“When I was watching the huge glaciers, I felt my problems were small. This glimpse of pure magic reminded me how beautiful life can still be.”
She laughed with strangers, posed for photos, wandered along quiet beaches, and soaked in the warmth of the Blue Lagoon. This wasn’t just a vacation—it was the first time in years she felt truly free. After everything she had endured, this journey marked a return to herself.
“I felt a genuine sense of excitement… I felt liberated and happy.”
This moment, under foreign skies, marked a turning point. A psychiatrist by profession, Dr Aninda had survived two abusive marriages and two miscarriages. She had endured trauma that left lasting scars. But here, alone and smiling, she reclaimed something she thought she had lost forever: herself.
Dr Aninda with Dr Ishita Anand during her Iceland trip.Surviving what so many endure in silence
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), nearly 30 percent of Indian women have experienced domestic violence. Many suffer in silence, caught between emotional ties, societal pressure, and the hope that things will change.
Dr Aninda’s story is one of those rare accounts where survival is not the end of the story; it’s the beginning of rebuilding. Today, she shares her journey not to recount the pain, but to light a path for others walking through it.
When love hurt: The first marriage
Fresh out of medical school in Puducherry, Dr Aninda landed her dream job at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) in Delhi in 2013. Full of optimism and joy, she looked forward to beginning her career in psychiatry. It was here she met her first husband, a fellow psychiatrist.
“I fell deeply in love with him,” she recalls. “We soon tied the knot, believing that our shared profession and passion for mental health........
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