“We use the term mentally ill and mentally unstable so callously that many find it tough to believe that they need psychiatric help given the stigma that is attached to it,” said Shubhrata Prakash, who has authored ‘The D Word - A Survivor’s guide to depression’.
The author and civil servant was in the city to participate in a discussion about her book, which was released by Health secretary J. Radhakrishnan at the Odyssey bookstore.
“People tend to assume that if you are a strong person, you might not get depression and will simply ask you to be bold and strong which does not work in fighting the illness. I wrote this during my worst struggles with depression hoping that I can reach out to more people who are struggling to understand their situation,” she said.
Need for dialogue
Dr. Radhakrishnan emphasised on the need for more dialogue and discussion about mental health.
“In Tamil Nadu, the mental health programme was taken to the districts only in 2016 and material like this book which talks more about such conditions is a necessary value addition for medical professionals and patients,” he said.
Following the book release, there was a panel discussion. Dr. Radhakrishnan, Ms. Prakash, lawyer Sanjay Pinto and psychologist Mini Rao participated in the discussion.
“I was able to overcome my struggles thanks to a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and physical exercise which were all facilitated by excellent doctors and a strong support system at home. But it is very important that people understand what works for me might not work for them and they need to work towards what helps them get going,” Ms. Prakash said.
