Twenty-four-year-old Sanchana Krishnan knew she was bipolar from a very young age. As she grew older, she found that it became more difficult discussing the illness with her family but she never gave up trying. On a recent trip to meet her parents in Dubai, the Gurgaon-based writer and photographer knew she had to change her tactics. Her father told her that bipolar was just a label she had given herself. “It was frustrating and exhausting having to convince them I had a real issue. I thought why not create a space where people can listen to the mental health experiences of others? This way, maybe, they would understand and have empathy for their family or friends, and stop invalidating their experiences,” says Krishnan.
Thus, the idea for Living Stories was born. The project initiates a one-on-one conversation between people, using the concept of a library, where the person narrating the story is the ‘book’ and the other, the ‘reader’.
Picking the right book
The first edition is dedicated to mental health, and is being organised in association with mental health organisation, YourDOST, and Social Offline. Living Stories started out in Bengaluru on August 5, followed by Delhi on August 26 and will be held in Mumbai today.
Every book has a synopsis. Readers can select the narrative they like and then spend 30 minutes in a personal conversation with the book. The Mumbai chapter will feature 20 books, including Krishnan.
Rachana Ray Iyer, 28, a social entrepreneur and mental health advocate, is one of those 20. Her book is titled Secure Your Own Oxygen Mask First. She will share her story of dealing with depression and anxiety. “What I’ve learned over the last two years is that it’s necessary to focus on your mental health first, before helping anyone else. I’ve been working a lot on myself as far as health is concerned – I’ve been working out, am on a diet, and trying to keep myself physically fit,” she says.
In April this year, Iyer started getting anxiety attacks at work. She decided to come clean about her mental illness and spoke to her team. “This is also something I want to talk about – how to find anchors or a support system wherever you are, and the importance of educating people so that they can help you better,” explains Iyer.
The books were selected voluntarily. People were invited to participate and Krishnan spoke to them to know more about their life and whether they “had the energy and head space to do this”.
The Mumbai edition will also feature mental health professionals, psychologists and psychiatrists. “They can talk about the field of mental health in general, why it is important, and why we should take care of it,” says Krishnan.
Chetna Chakravarthy, 37, a positive action coach and one of the books will be sharing stories of alternative healing experiences with clients who have dealt with anxiety and depression. “One of my clients had been diagnosed with anxiety, depression and a borderline personality disorder. She was on medication but not doing well. We went through a process of chakra healing and soon, she was able to go off her medicines, live alone and even take a month-long residency without breaking down. At no point am I undermining medicines, but I just want to talk about how alternative healing can complement and supplement them,” she says.
Sharing stories
Such events, says Chakravarthy, are extremely important given the kind of lives that we live, and the thinking and conditioning we grow up with. “People don’t understand it because we don’t talk about it enough,” she adds.
Krishnan believes Living Stories will help both the books and the readers. “For the books, this experience is a catharsis of sorts. This will help create an acceptance for the need for good mental health and healthcare,” says Krishnan.
For the reader, the space could help them become more aware, and realise that mental health isn’t an issue only psychologists or psychiatrists can deal with. “Some of the readers may have their own issues. The first step most people struggle with is to accept they have a problem and it’s not just a ‘passing phase’. I hope this helps them learn how to be open enough to seek help for it,” she says.
Another advantage of these series of events, which Krishnan didn’t foresee, was the books coming together and becoming friends. “They’ve formed a support group and are planning meetings. At the end of the day, you can get empathy from others but it helps to have friends going through something similar,” introspect Krishnan.
Living Stories will be conducted today from 9 a.m. onwards at AntiSocial, Khar.
