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....
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Sep 12, 2020 | #BIPOCMentalHealth, #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, #SuicidePrevention, #WomensMentalHealth, MentalHealthMatters
My name is Geetha Balagopal. My beloved daughter Priya was lost to suicide on January 10th 2016 during her 4th suicide attempt. Priya was a beautiful girl, a quiet, introverted, brilliant and dignified child, who excelled in whatever activity she participated in. The anxiety was always there but I was not aware of it. She was bullied in school and it started very early – in Kindergarten. I never knew about it. She didn’t have many friends but got calls from classmates who needed help with homework. During the summer of her junior year in high school, she told me that she has OCD. My response was “you have too much time on your hands disorder” Having been raised in a culture where you are conditioned to “just do what is required without complaining”- I didn’t realize the seriousness of it. Priya left home when she was 15 and a half years old to join the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, (a boarding school for highly gifted high school kids) around the same time she told me that she had OCD. She only came home one day a month – and she only called or texted if she needed supplies or food. She made new friends, fell in love with Indian dance and I was happy for her. One day in early 2009, I was driving Priya back to school –about to merge on the highway, when she said that she feels hopeless and that “life is not worth living”. I almost ran off the road but kept my voice calm and asked her why...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Sep 6, 2020 | #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, #WomensMentalHealth, Mental Health Matters
“Stories are living and dynamic. Stories exist to be exchanged. They are the currency of Human Growth.” Jean Houston, PhD Twenty-five years ago, these words flowed out of me: “Balanced within exultation and despair is the state of mind called reality.” The words were written above the title, States of Mind, and beneath the title was the author’s name: Leslie D’Angelo. The self-publisher? Resources for Living. And what was States of Mind? The chaos in my mind. The yearning in my heart. An embodied voice that needed more than anything else to feel, to write, to speak, and be heard. My name is Diane Kaufman. What experiences have I had and how do I allow them to define me? Or do I dare to define myself? Here goes…. I am a suicide survivor. I am a poet, artist, child psychiatrist, humanism in medicine awardee, and founder of Arts Medicine for Hope & Healing, ARTS for Living, and Creative Life Lines. I am still becoming who I am. I am a hurt little girl who grew into a sensitive and brave woman. I have Bipolar II Disorder. I am a mother, a grandmother, a sister, Aunt, and friend. Most of all I want to be a humane human being and I don’t want to stop growing. I want to cultivate and share the gifts I was born to give – just as we all are born with special gifts to help illuminate the world from human inflicted darkness. Who was this Leslie D’Angelo? My middle name is Leslie. Perhaps I wanted to be an angel. D is first initial of...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Sep 6, 2020 | Mental health & wellness, Mental Health Matters
Doing yoga at home is one of the best ways to stay grounded and stay active when you’re self-isolating. Not only does yoga keep you fit and toned, it comes with mental health benefits such as decreased anxiety and depression. Starting yoga at home is also one of the most affordable ways to stay in shape. Below, learn about the gear and technology you can use to have an uplifting and wallet-friendly yoga practice at home. Get Set Up for Streaming If you regularly go to the yoga studio, you probably know how much it takes out of your budget each month. However, there are numerous ways to stream sessions at home. Many yoga sessions can be viewed for free by using YouTube or other services that you already pay for, such as Amazon Prime. If you have a smart TV, Roku stick or other smart tech, you can usually stream videos by downloading the YouTube app on your device. This allows you to watch videos on your TV rather than looking at your phone. If your devices are paired, you can even use your phone as a remote to select videos you want to cast to your TV. When you already have the tech, this is a completely free way to bring yoga sessions into your living room. Take Advantage of Apps Like streaming services, you can also get guidance for your home yoga practice by using apps. Women’s Health ranked these apps as the best ones available. Yoga apps are usually free to download and come with a selection of free content. However, most require paying a monthly...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Jul 18, 2020 | #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, BIPOC Mental Health, MentalHealthMatters
“Sharing our stories without shame is a huge part of our journey to wellbeing” says writer, activist, attorney and award-winning author, Melody Moezzi. “We are not broken. We are brave. We are brilliant. We are beautiful. And, we are blessed.” Watch Melody’s inspiring story of how she is thriving despite her struggles with bipolar...
