Tags: by Phillis Benson | Jan 16, 2017 |
I still remember sitting with my mother in a psychiatrist’s office in Bangalore, India. After seven years of suffering through undiagnosed panic attacks and depression, I had finally tried to kill myself. And, my family physician had referred me to a psychiatrist. “I pray that no one we know sees us here Gayu” my mother had whispered into my ears, her voice filled with fear. Within minutes of talking with me, the psychiatrist had a diagnosis – I had been struggling with major depression. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding the diagnosis became a noose around my neck, sentencing my family and I into a life of shame and secrecy. For years, we did not talk about my struggles with family or friends. And, despite access to mental health services, I cycled in and out of depression, suicide attempts, and hospitalizations. Eventually, confined in the seclusion room of a psychiatric ward in America, stripped of freedom, dignity, hope, and humanity, I finally decided to break the silence and talk about my struggles with mental illness. I began talking with family, friends and even strangers. Looking back, talking about my mental illness was the first step in freeing myself from the stranglehold of stigma and shame. Talking about my mental illness also gave me the courage to embrace my humanity and ask for the treatment and support I needed to recover and thrive. Depression affects 350 million people of all ages, from all walks of life, and in all countries around the world. It impacts people’s ability to carry out even the simplest everyday tasks and can have a...
Tags: by Phillis Benson | Nov 5, 2016 |
As we prepare to gather with our friends and family to give thanks to each other and the many blessings of our life, I encourage you to take a few minutes each day to practice an attitude of gratitude. Twenty-seven years ago, a psychiatric nurse introduced me to the gifts of maintaining a gratitude journal and it has transformed my life. Every day, regardless of where I am in the world, I meditate and journal at least three things I am grateful for. Sure, there are days when I am struggling and cannot find a reason to be grateful. But, over the years, I have learned to be grateful for the love and support of family and friends, and my resilience to overcome difficult times. According to a Harvard Health Publication, expressing thanks may be one of the simplest ways to feel better. I invite you to take a few minutes each day to maintain a gratitude journal. You will be happier and healthier for it. Wishing you wellness, Gayathri Ramprasad, MBA, CPS Founder & President, ASHA International...
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...
