Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Nov 14, 2021 | #BIPOCMentalHealth, #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, #WomensMentalHealth, MentalHealthMatters
On November 4th, women from across cultures came together to share their mental health stories to give hope and empower each other to heal and thrive. And, women from across the Unites States and around the world joined in virtually. Thank you to all who attended and to all who bravely shared their stories. We once again thank our generous sponsors for making this event possible. And thanks to all our hardworking volunteers who gave their precious time to come together to create a community of connection, hope and well-being. Together, we are normalizing conversations about mental health and inspiring hope and well-being, one story at a time. We can’t wait to see you all at the 2022 Grit & Grace Conference! Thank you for your valuable testimonials! Here are a few we would like to share: “This is such an uplifting and inspiring event.” “All of the speakers were amazing, and to me it shows how much we need a special focus on women’s mental health, and the intersectionality with other pieces of culture that we identify with. Thank you so much for providing me with some healing, hope, and validation during a tough morning.” “I wasn’t sure what to expect as this was my first year attending this conference. I was blown away and so impacted by the stories these women shared. Hearing their resiliency and what helped them to move through difficult times was amazing and I’m looking forward to joining next year.” “What a wonderful experience for all of us who work in the area of healthcare and mental health…It’s such important and useful information...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Nov 24, 2020 | #BIPOCMentalHealth, #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, Mental Health Matters, Youth mental health
Thank you for being part of the ASHA International family. Because of your support, we could empower Brian to share his story. Brian says “Growing up with depression was hard, but hiding it from everyone was harder.” Brian grew up in a culture that emphasized achievement and endurance above all else. In high school, after being the model-minority for his whole life, his depression got to an all-time high and he started getting panic attacks. These events led him to be honest about his struggles with depression for the first time in his life to his family, and to himself. He hopes that by sharing his story he can change the stigmas within his own community regarding mental health and encourage other Asian-Americans to speak up about their own battles with mental health by showing them they are not alone. At ASHA International, we are acutely aware of the significant barriers to mental health faced by underserved and underrepresented communities – immigrants, refugees, black, indigenous, people of color and LGBTQ+. And, we are dedicated to empowering them to share their stories to inspire hope & ignite change. In 2020, your support empowered ASHA Storytellers like Brian to reach 5,113 people with an inspiring message of hope & well-being. Together, we are shining a light on mental health and ending stigma, one story at a time. This Thanksgiving, all of us at ASHA International want to let you know how grateful we are to have you as part of our family. Your love and support have helped us bring hope and healing to healing to thousands of people, especially during...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Oct 25, 2020 | #BIPOCMentalHealth, #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, Youth mental health
When COVID first struck, I, like many other college students found myself back in my childhood bedroom. We abruptly transitioned to lectures on Zoom, curfews, and memories of high school while convincing ourselves that we would be back at school soon enough. Yet, while I adjusted to the new normal, I had to simultaneously prepare myself for another drastic change. We first heard that we would have to move back in October 2019, about two months into my freshman year of college. “There’s a backlog in processing green cards right now,” my dad explained as we drove to the airport at the end of Fall Break. In theory, the problem seemed simple, our visas were expiring and the hold in the immigration system meant we wouldn’t be receiving our permanent residency in time, which meant we would have to leave the U.S. But the reality of this situation consumed our family for the following ten months. It meant my dad leaving the U.S for three months in an effort to extend our visas and my mom staying up for nights on end trying to comprehend complex legal jargon and coordinating calls between lawyers. It meant my sister having to go to school every day knowing that the senior year she had been looking forward to for the past three years would no longer be happening. For me, it meant watching my family undergo all of these two thousand miles away and try to balance my life in college at the same time. Every conversation revolved around new updates from the lawyers, trying to learn the names of different immigration forms,...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Oct 8, 2020 | #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, Mental health & wellness, MentalHealthMatters
I recently had an insightful and thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Vikram Patel on how to address inequities in mental health care and ensure mental health for all. Dr. Vikram Patel is The Pershing Square Professor of Global Health in the Blavatnik Institute’s Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is a co-founder of Sangath, an Indian NGO which won the MacArthur Foundation’s International Prize for Creative and Effective Institutions in 2008 and was listed in TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential persons of the year in 2015. His accomplishments are far too many to...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Oct 8, 2020 | #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, Mental health & wellness, MentalHealthMatters
October 10th is World Mental Health Day. It’s a day to remind ourselves that mental health is an integral part of our well-being. And, take time each day to nurture our mental health. Over the last seven months, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended and impacted every aspect of our lives – including our mental health. The uncertainly, fears, isolation and loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is having a detrimental impact on our mental health & wellbeing. And, it’s ok to not feel ok. You are not alone. We are here to help. We have over 150 Stories of Hope, a wide range of Health & Wellness Articles, and a list of organizations to help you and your loved ones take care of your mental health & wellbeing. Please check out these resources on our website. Be safe. Be strong. Together, we will emerge through these difficult times kinder, stronger and more resilient....