CHENNAI: "I have seen an increased sense of self in women between ages 20 to 35. Middle-aged and elderly men and women generally do not discuss it or may not even be aware of prevailing mental health issues," said Anna Chandy, philanthropist and popular influencer on the subject of mental health.
Around 150 to 200 members of the Duchess Club were gathered to attend her seminar on destigmatising people on mental health, which was held at Hotel Savera on Saturday. "Only now are doctors even factoring in mental health before presenting a diagnosis," she shared. The Maple Hall at Savera was filled with women across age groups listening intently to Chandy. “Our body reacts to our mental health. We may not pick upon the signs, but our body talks in another way,” she said.
She further added, “To say that someone has mental problems would mean that they were mad. Stigma about mad people being violent and unable to make daily decisions planted the seed of fear.” Problems like stress, anxiety and depression were associated with being weak.
"The story is different today. Major mental health issues like depression and bipolar disorder have been addressed on public platforms. Influencers are coming out with their mental health issues, which is making many more accept and address their own," said Chandy.
“Trying to tell a depressed person to be more ‘positive’ may add to their depression. The biggest myth is that depressed people are violent. This is not true. They generally hate crowd and just want solace most of the time,” she shared. The seminar was conducted by Stories for Progress, Advocacy, Rights and Knowledge (SPARK). The session was coordinated by Niru and Vishala from SPARK.