Endorphins in Ballygunge recently hosted a chat on addressing mental health concerns that had on the panel Endorphins founder and corrective exercise coach Ranadeep Moitra, actor Parno Mittrah, psychotherapist Mansi Poddar, psychiatrist Dr Sanjay Garg, and cricketer Ritwik Roy Chowdhury. The chat was moderated by Ushoshi Sengupta, Miss Universe India 2010. Post the talk, the panellists took some questions from t2. Excerpts.
Personally, when did you get aware of mental health as something you needed to nurture, just like physical health, given it’s still a new concept and awareness is still nascent?
Mansi Poddar: I think it’s been a process. Mental health is still a very vague concept. As I get older, I realise that my emotional and energy currency is valuable. And each year brings new learnings on how to handle my spiritual/psychological/emotional/ physical health. Which I believe constitutes the term “mental health”. What’s the energy I want to bring to myself/others and the world is a question that helps me figure out how to handle my mental health.Ritwik Roy Chowdhury: My introduction/awareness to/of/about ‘mental health’ was around 2015-16 or so. I was about 20-21 and had repeated episodes of binge eating (a coping mechanism I guess). Triggers were different but the pattern led me to introspect purposefully and I also opened up to a few people (personal and/or semi-professional relationships). It pushed me in the right direction, that is addressing and solving the problems at their roots (internal/invisible world) instead of giving too much importance to the manifestations and the physical/external world in general. I also learnt the art and importance of self-compassion... still very much a work in progress. The primary aim(s) will always be to count my blessings, be grateful, content and enjoy the journey. Happiness (and ultimately maybe even bliss) is a pretty good destination I feel.
Parno Mittrah: After my dad passed away, I became a very different person. I was outgoing and would love to hang out with my friends. That loss took a toll on me. I didn’t work for one whole year and cancelled films and sat at home all day long.... Nobody talked about mental health (then). I was aware of the concept of therapy... my personal relationships had started suffering... (finally) I had to seek help.
Have you ever struggled with it, like all of us?
Dr Sanjay Garg: Most of us during our lifetime will definitely experience mental health issues and I have been no exception. Having worked in two extremely different countries with totally different mindset and infrastructure was challenging and difficult. Shifting from a developed country like the UK and then building a practice from scratch in a country like India where mental health remains hugely stigmatised was no small task.Ranadeep Moitra: Yes, I have struggled with extreme depression when I couldn’t cope with how my cricket career was taken away from me because of an autoimmune disease... I wish I had a Ranadeep Moitra to guide me during my young days to cope with my disease and I thought the medical system was pretty incomplete in helping me to cope with my disease. I had to struggle... but being a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, I bounced out of it and I soon realised that if God shuts one door, he opens another door and that I would say is the secret to my fightback and I would say the fight goes on.
How do you take care of your mental health?
Mansi: I am very particular about getting sleep. Plus I work on having meaningful conversations and days. On most days I have some activities that bring “good feelings” like excitement/joy/satisfaction. Also, I avoid self-torture and practise self-compassion on days when I don’t feel that great. I don’t take everything about myself seriously. It is what it is. Everything is not trauma. I practise a lot of surrender and self-inquiry whenever it gets tough. Therapy has taught me this skill.
What is the one thing that everyone must know about mental health in the times we are living in? What is the ultimate coping mechanism?
Mansi: There is no such thing as the ultimate coping mechanism as each person has a unique history and challenges. What works for one will not work for everyone. Find your own resources that help you cope. However, become self-knowledgeable. Learn about yourself. One thing everyone must know is that people believe they are the expert on everyone’s mental health simply because they had their challenges. We are experts on our depression and no one else’s.Dr Garg: One thing which everyone must realise about mental health is that if not more important it is equally important as physical health. It determines who we are as individuals, as a part of the family and society. Discipline in life, whether it be in the form of regular exercise, meals, sleep, family or work, is the ultimate coping mechanism.Ranadeep: The biggest quality is gratitude and the willingness to help other people.... It was part of my job to help other people and it would divert attention from my problems. When you give back to the universe, the universe also gives back to you.Parno: The only coping mechanism would be to take precautions and take medical help because depression can take you to a very dark place and no light can enter. You get comfortable in a place where no one can reach you and the problem is no one will ever understand what you are going through, neither will you. So I strongly suggest taking help from friends and doctors.
Ushoshi Sengupta: That it is very easy to manage a healthy mental lifestyle. It’s just like physical health. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle for your mental health it will be your best cheerleader. My ultimate coping mechanism is dancing, journaling, travelling and taking each day at a time.
What have been your learnings like, which you then have passed on to others?
Dr Garg: Keeping your goals in mind and slowly but persistently working towards them in spite of the hindrances will help you achieve your dreams. Keeping your family close and having extracurricular activities out with a normal routine helps to deal with day-to-day stress.Ushoshi: Taking help is of utmost importance. Therapy, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and seeking professional help at your earliest can help you recover faster from any health issues whether it’s mental or physical.Parno: I tell people not to study mental health on Instagram.... You should leave it to the doctors. Also, don’t google! A lot of people will tell you to talk to someone in your inner circle, but it is hard to find someone to talk to. So, my inner circle is my therapist. It is hard to open up to people and ask for their time because you want to talk about how you are feeling. Most people will give you advice. You need to find that one person whom you can tell that all you need is for someone to hear you out and not advice. If you need medication, be on medication. A lot of people who post about mental health awareness, don’t know about mental health. You must listen to your doctor and going to therapy is not a big deal.Ranadeep: No matter how dark the days and how distant the dawn seems, there is always a silver lining. Just believe, believe, believe and things will change. If you don’t believe, still believe because you can will things to happen. I have experienced in my life that if you have a strong mind and a gut for the fight, things will change.