Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Jun 6, 2020 |
In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, Ryan Ho, Project Executive at Silver Ribbon Singapore had an in-depth conversation with Gayathri Ramprasad, Founder & President of ASHA International about her journey from adversity to advocacy. The Silver Ribbon Singapore’s mission is to combat mental health stigma, encourage early help, and facilitate integration of people with mental illness within the society through innovative means of promoting mental health...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Apr 5, 2019 |
Most American teenagers — across demographic groups — see depression and anxiety as major problems among their peers, a new survey by the Pew Research Center found. The survey found that 70 percent of teenagers saw mental health as a big issue. At ASHA International, our youth Storytellers are dedicated to sharing their stories to give hope and let their peers know they are not alone, and encourage them to get the help they need to recover and thrive. Together, we are creating a safe space where students can talk about their struggles and support each other with empathy and compassion. Here is feedback from students about our Let‘s Talk About Mental Health Program at local high schools in February: “Right now, I’m going through something really hard. But the presentations have convinced me that recovery is possible and I can get over it.” “Very inspiring! As a person struggling with anxiety, this program was very uplifting & safe.” “I’ve been struggling with my mental health for years and never asked for help and like the storyteller said – she tried to commit suicide and nobody knew – that’s what happened to me. The storytellers made me realize in order to feel better, I must seek help.” “Some of my friends are dealing with mental illnesses and the presentation gave me a different view on it, and how to help them.” “I went to the same middle school as the Storyteller, and it is comforting to know that there are people at my school who can help me with my problems.” “The personal stories were very...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Jan 15, 2017 |
“Mental illness recognizes no borders, yet few books have explored the difficulties of individuals dealing with cultural differences and none has done it better than SHADOWS IN THE SUN. Beautifully written, Gayathri Ramprasad chronicles the devastating impact that depression reeks on an entire family and then brings us into the light with her inspiring story of recovery. This book is a true gift to all those struggling with a mental disorder and those of us who love them. In writing it, Gayathri Ramprasad establishes herself as an international voice of hope.” – Pete Earley, author of CRAZY: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness The book is available at most major bookstores and...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Jan 15, 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 devastating impact on their ability...
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...
