Tags: by Phillis Benson | Aug 10, 2016 |
“You should take time to exercise Gayathri,” my psychiatrist said decades ago, while I was in the midst of a severe depressive episode. And, I remember thinking, I am not an athlete or a social elite. I am a mother and a homemaker. I don’t have the time or the need for exercise. But, my psychiatrist insisted that exercise could relieve my depression and boost my overall well-being. I am glad I finally followed his advice. Over the last three decades, I have exercised five times a week – a combination of yoga, Pilates, walking, weight-training and cardio machines. Like many people, I don’t always jump out of bed wanting to exercise, but sticking to my workout routine has helped me create a healthy, vibrant life. Please explore the 7 Benefits of Regular Exercise and create your own exercise routine. Wishing you wellness, Gayathri Ramprasad, MBA, CPS Founder & President, ASHA International...
Tags: by Phillis Benson | Aug 2, 2016 |
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer Marshall, Co-Founder of This is My Brave an amazing community of advocates dedicated to ending the stigma surrounding mental illness by sharing our true personal stories through poetry, essay, and song. Jenn was diagnosed with Type 1 Bipolar Disorder in 2006 at the age of 26. She’s had four hospitalizations within five years – two before any diagnosis was reached, and two more because she was trying to protect her newborn son (postpartum psychosis) and her unborn daughter – and all were because she was unmedicated at the time. Writing her way through life with a mental illness became her way of healing, and her award-winning blog BipolarMomLife has become an inspiration to many. Jenn created This Is My Brave because she learned first hand how powerful and therapeutic it was to live openly and not hide her diagnosis. She wanted to give brave individuals from the community a platform through which to creatively share their stories of living with mental illness to educate and inspire others. She lives outside Washington, DC with her husband and two children. Jenn is the living proof that people with mental illness can recover and rebuild healthy, meaningful, productive lives. Her work was recently featured in the Oprah Magazine. Jenn wants people struggling with mental health issues around the world to know that they are not alone. There is hope and help. And, regardless of their struggles, they can...
Tags: by Phillis Benson | Aug 2, 2016 |
On June 8th, I had the pleasure of presenting at the Mental Health America Conference in Alexandria, Virginia. Later that night, I called my parents in India and learned that my 81-year-old father had a fall and was unconscious for a few minutes. He had survived esophageal cancer recently but was struggling to breathe. So, I decided to cut short my stay at the conference, return home to Portland immediately, and rush to India to see my dad. Unfortunately, by the time I landed in St. Louis en route to Portland, I learned through a social media post that my father had passed away. My whole world collapsed. Riding on his favorite Java motorbike as a little girl, I had thought my father was invincible…I still wanted him to be. He was my hero. The man who twirled me around until I broke into giggles, the man who had taught me to dream big and work hard, the man who called me “Princess” and treated me like one. Heartbroken, I collapsed in my seat sobbing, as the plane taxied. I am deeply grateful to the love and support of strangers on that plane who helped me get off the plane and board my connecting flight to Portland. I am deeply grateful to my husband and daughters who helped me get on a plane to India within hours of landing so I could be with my mother and siblings to grieve and celebrate my father’s life. And, I am deeply grateful to our extended family and friends who held us in their embrace, and helped us get through the...
