3 hrs ago
Women Share Mental Health Journeys After Years Of Silence
Three women in India have shared stories about mental health in their families.
Kavita grew up not knowing that her mother had schizophrenia.
That experience helped her understand why families need support when someone is ill.
Nandini lost her husband to suicide and found that grief could feel very lonely.
She started a group and helpline to help others facing a similar loss.
Pheroza cared for her daughter, who had learning difficulties and later dealt with anxiety and OCD.
Each woman says that people who support others need care and understanding, too.
Their stories appear in a book called Homecoming and are part of a campaign asking people how they are doing.
Dr Kavita Arora says growing up with a mother with schizophrenia shaped her work as a child psychiatrist and her attention to patients’ families.
Dr Nandini Murali’s husband died by suicide in 2017; she later founded SPEAK and a helpline to support people grieving suicide loss.
Pheroza Godrej describes caring for her daughter Raika, whose learning disabilities went unidentified and who later experienced anxiety and OCD.
The three women share their experiences in Homecoming, an anthology of 11 women navigating mental health challenges.
Their stories are part of the How Are You, India? campaign, which focuses on emotional wellbeing and people who support others.
- Who
- Dr Kavita Arora, Dr Nandini Murali and Pheroza Godrej, whose experiences are featured in Homecoming.
- What
- The women share stories of family mental health challenges, caregiving, grief and support.
- Where
- The experiences described include Madurai and Mumbai, India.
- When
- The article is part of a campaign launching on World Mental Health Day, 10 October; Nandini’s husband died in April 2017.
- Why
- The stories aim to give voice to women whose own needs were often overlooked while they supported family members, and to encourage understanding and care.
Key facts
- Book
- Homecoming: Mental Health Journeys of Resilience, Healing and Wholeness
- Book contributors
- The anthology features 11 women navigating mental health challenges.
- Kavita Arora
- She learned at age 21 that her mother had schizophrenia.
- Nandini Murali
- Her husband died by suicide in April 2017.
- SPEAK
- Nandini founded the support initiative in Madurai on the first anniversary of her loss; Project SPEAK runs in three blocks of Madurai district.
- Helpline
- Speak to Us was established during the pandemic.
- Mental health support
- The article lists Tele-MANAS at 14416 for people needing support.
Quotes
Nandini Murali
Founder of SPEAK and Project SPEAK, which support people affected by suicide loss.
“people who end their lives need to be remembered by how they've lived their lives and the contributions they've made to society, and not reduced to the circumstances of their death.”
thebetterindia.com
“I don't see just the person or their illness. I actually try to ask about the family members who are not in the room.”
thebetterindia.com
Sources
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