REPORT ON PSYCH TALK: BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

-AARUSHI JAIN

This is a report on the webinar- PSYCH TALK: BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. It was held on 29^th June, 2020, Monday from 08:00p.m onwards. This webinar is organized by EMPOWER PEOPLE .It’s about clearing the illogical thoughts of people. Here we have two speakers-: Shivani Nirmal and Sumati Rani.

MYTH 1: Psychologists can read your mind.

Actually it’s not true. It’s based on science work with scope of phonemically world and work on research. As they are human being who does not know what’s in your mind. Who claims that they can read mind our not psychologists.

MYTH 2: Mental Health doesn’t make much a difference.

People take this so lightly. It is just like other organ. If you are having some problem then they hinder your daily tasks. It’s your brain which function all other things. Psychologists will not judge you like other’s can so take it serious and cure it as soon as possible.

MYTH 3: Talking about my mental health makes me weak/feminine- “ladki Hai Kya? Mard bano!”

Here we need specially address the guys here. And its hurts because when they listen this kind of words which makes they feel inferior about talking this. We need to get here gender expectation that we impose and toxic masculinity. There are many consequences that occurs. Suicide rate & depression rate our increasing in male in context to India which is alarming. Talk about this with whom you are comfortable. So we need to acknowledge this.

MYTH 4: There is something WRONG with me if I have mental health issues.

If someone is going to the therapists or telling about the issue they are facing then society and nearby people will say that –“you are not mad”, nothing is like this. If you are facing this then it’s not a problem with you their many factors- economic, social, PTSD, etc. you to need to understand the reasons & address them and solve. If you are feeling stressed & anxiety so it’s not your fault talk to someone who does not judge you and you should have someone like this.

MYTH 5: The person is just being lazy or not trying enough-“Stop whining, get yourself together.” “You are just imagining.” “People have it worse than you.”

How much you try? And everyone has sometime mental illness. It is cruel for anyone comparing with anyone else is just not correct because everyone is different. That your pain is less and mine is more has different history. No point in comparing. Nothing is stable and we need to stop judging each person from another one.

MYTH 6: “Be positive. Everything will make sense.”

This sentence is the worst thing you can tell someone who is going through mental health. They are feeling anxious and how do you know everything will good. It is good to appreciate the little things we have but comparatively we can’t deny that we are bound to feel low at some point of time. Equally address this and their mentors& guru’s on social media. If you will not accept and recognize the wrong how will you cure & correct it. Try to figure out.

MYTH 7: “Thoda exercise kar, sab thik ho jyega.”

Mind and our body is inter-related so what you feel affects your body also. Feeling calm, peace and soon every single time is not possible so don’t underestimate. And if it’s serious then reach out to professionals and loved ones. As it’s important to know and these statements are just sometimes invalid too.

MYTH 8: Mental Health is the individual’s problem. It is your fault if you are struggling.

People should start believing that empathy is important. And if you can’t emphasize so just listen to the person and just don’t burst out the advice. You just have to be patient. Someone is reciprocating and if can be cured by professionals. You can’t hold yourself responsible. Just be there for them sometimes not always like some little gestures of asking them.

MYTH 9: Visiting a Therapist is a matter of shame.

We all deserve a therapy as we are living as in a society where we are stressed and things are complicated too. People go to therapist just to understand & navigate themselves. Untangle the trauma from past which you can’t handle any more so we need to understand & seek help. Therapist are trained, analyzing you, diagnose after several thing and if you can’t access the therapy there our helplines that are available. So we need to understand this and it is not a matter of shame. Must have support system as they can save lives. Therapy does not make you weak it’s actually make us better human being.

MYTH 10: Psychologists don’t have any mental health issues/illness.

 Like people think that you are doctor how can you have a cold? This is something very wrong and vice versa goes for psychologists. As professionals are same as other human beings. So we as psychologists are vulnerable. Amount of emotional loads that goes on psychologists as you can share with them but they have to think a lot before this. If someone knows that how human beings tends and behave that doesn’t mean that they can’t go through same.

So we can summarize this by that all of them are just a myth which you need to stop believing and understand the importance of this. Mental health is just not out of the box as you treat it. It’s just like all other problems that appears physically and this occurs mentally. So we need to support the people who are suffering from these issues. There is nothing impossible if we start thinking.

COMPILED BY – AARUSHI JAIN

REPORT ON PSYCH TALK: WHAT DOES A THERAPY SESSION LOOK LIKE?

- AARUSHI JAIN

Shivani and Sumati are back with their Psych Talk session and this time it is about busting myths, stereotypes and stigma around therapy with: Amruta Khare (Consulting Psychologist Remedial Education Therapist). So, what does a Therapy session really look like? This was held on Monday, 27th July, 2020 at 8.00 pm

Each session is, essentially, a problem-solving session. You describe your current situation, and your feelings about it, and then the therapist uses their expertise to assist you in trying to resolve that problem so you can move closer to having the life you wish to have.

Myth 1: Therapy is only for people with serious mental health issues.

People who have serious issues will take the help from therapists. Because they have don’t have any options. But going to them can make relax others.

Myth 2: Therapy is not necessary if you have best friends to talk to. Just talking and chit chatting to your family and friends can help you with your mental health issues.

 If you are blessed with caring, supportive family members and friends, by all means, share your feelings, goals, and dreams with those people. They are a big part of your support network, and their insights and encouragement can be very helpful. However, people who already know you might not always be completely objective when listening to you. As they have learnt and have practices. Sometimes they cannot understand the situation so we can to go therapists. So this is a myth which need to be changed.

 Myth 3: Therapists sit behind a desk and take notes while you sit/lie down on a couch.

This is a myth as they are listening to you doesn’t means they will only take the notes. Like a child who is studying and not getting any question so he/she tells the teacher about this so teacher will not make notes rather than she will make him solve the query. Same goes with the therapists.

Myth 4: All therapists want to do is to talk about your childhood / therapists blame the client's upbringing for their situation.

Not necessarily. Many people think that visiting a therapist means digging up old skeletons from your childhood, or talking about how awful your mother was, etc. That is a myth. What you talk about during a therapy session will largely depend on your unique situation and goals. And depending on your goals, you may not actually talk about your past that much. The focus of your therapy is as likely to be your present-day reality and the future that you wish to create.

Myth 5: Therapists can prescribe medication, they adopt techniques like shock therapy etc.

No therapists gives shock therapy. And earlier we didn’t have that knowledge now the government as recognized the importance. Everyone who went for this doesn’t mean that they have to under these therapies. So according to situation we observe and correct ways are provided to them.

 Myth 6: Therapy is very expensive.

In order to receive a license, therapists have to go through a lot of training and years before they can actually work. Lastly, counseling is expensive because there are many bills to pay: Rent and utilities. State licensure fees, each licensure requires annual fees to be paid. We feel that therapy is absolutely worth the cost. While the price might seem high, consider the fact that. But if you feel that it’s expensive so we have helpline also through which we can think it’s affordable.

Myth 7: Therapy sessions consist of only a Q-A form conversation.

Sometimes Q-A are important to know the exact situation but it is not every time. As it not true because it’s like other normal session. People has just make this like a hype. So we need to know it and make people aware about this as much as possible.

Of course, every therapist is different, every client is unique, and every therapist-client relationship is distinct as well—which means that there is no universal description of a therapy session. Some therapists employ dream interpretation in their work. 

Therapy is a valuable tool that can help you to solve problems, set and achieve goals, improve your communication skills, or teach you new ways to track your emotions and keep your stress levels in check. It can help you to build the life, career, and relationship that you want.

UNDERSTANDING WELLBEING THROUGH GENDER

Compiled by Oviya. E

      This webinar on Understanding well being through gender is presented by Empower people to educate the audience about the relationship between health and gender. Ms. Ayushi Gandhi, a social worker explains this and Ms. Khayati joins the webinar as a panelist.

      Ms. Ayushi describes sex as a biological concept and gender as a sociological concept. Man is always considered as aggressive and women as submissive. According to WHO, mental health is defined as the state of well-being in which every individual realizes his / her own potential can cope with normal stresses of life, and work productively and fruitfully to make a contribution to his/her community.

      Health is a state of complete physical, mental, social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

      When we look out for a life cycle, we always see a man denoted there whereas a woman’s life cycle is always related to reproduction. Women face many health issues that result in due malnutrition, improper sanitation, and the absence of proper information.

        According to internationally published statistics, depression, anxiety, personality disorder are seen more in women. In rural areas, doctors are often male and this results in discomfort in the minds of women living there. Caste and social status impact people’s accessibility to resources.

   Development is necessary to improve the condition of women. Proper nutrition, infrastructure, presence of women's voices at the institutional and organizational levels are important places to bring in development.

     Ms. Khayati expresses her dissatisfaction  by stating the following:

·        NO COMFORT TO EXPRESS ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE ISSUES.

·        FEAR OF RESTRICTION

·        UNEMPLOYMENT IS CONSIDERED A REASON FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.

·        FEAR TO ENTER SOCIAL MEDIA.

Ms.Ayushi mentions human trafficking that threatens both genders in social media. She highlights the need to put an end to unsafe abortions and infertility and the violence against women associated with it. She also brings to our notice how religion plays an important role in societal issues.

   To put an end to these issues, conversation at the family level should occur at ease. At the individual level, we must point out the issues rather than normalizing them. 

LIFE IN BOLLYWOOD & THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

-AARUSHI JAIN

This is a report on the webinar- Life in Bollywood & the Entertainment Industry. It was held on 20^th June, 2020, Saturday from 08:30p.m onwards. This webinar is organized by EMPOWER PEOPLE and Ar. Yashika Tijoriwala handled all the key speakers and interacted with them about the entertainment industry.

The key speakers are as following -:

• ·         Jitender Pawar (Film Director)Trip to Bhangarh
• ·         Desh KK Yadav (Film Director)
• ·         Zameer (Film Director)

 Those involved in providing entertainment: radio and television and films and theater are known for the entertainment industry. According to people life of celebs, actors, actress, spot person, and all people in this industry are living the lavish life. But is it true? No its not. They are also human being. They have a life beyond this industry which is private but it does not remain private.

‘Bollywood’ – the Centre of the Hindi film industry, and a play on Bombay, as Mumbai was once known, and Hollywood – is the main feather in the Indy wood cap, although films made in India’s other regional languages, particularly South Indian languages Telugu and Tamil, are also abundant. Behind the scenes is an army of creative minds, not least a canny band of in-house lawyers, directing the studios and production houses in the legal and commercial side of the movie business. But at this time of lockdown nothing is able to be done.

When unlock 1.0 was started so any kind of shoot is able to restart. And flipkart ad has been started in Delhi. And mother dairy ad has been shot at home as they wanted to do. Even people have started asking for the ideas for shooting from home at this point of time and many filter copy videos have been released. Hopefully listening that from JULY everything will be start again with proper precautions and safety measures.

Life in Bollywood is not so easy as it’s growing globally actors are facing tough competitions within their competitors. Gradually everything is involving so vastly that its being difficult. People judges other life so easily that they forget everything. Privacy is highest issue for them. People are asking for the fresh content and now digital content & OTT is more feasible now. So at the time of lockdown everyone seen everything so need something else.

Future of this industry depends upon the situation & conditions. As earlier the rating was high. As we were living on our choices but now it’s opposite. Prediction is very hard at this point but in green zones it will start again with government measures. Like movies can not been seen in theatres so producer have started using OTT platform. It’s like blessing in disguise. We need to see every moment of opportunity.

Choosing any movie or web series should be based on their content as audience is focusing on their content and appreciate their work and efforts. And at this point of time we should look for the loop hole of opportunity in one of the most difficult period and explore the options. And in the starting we had a video which was directed by Jitender Pawar about the actors and challenges. So we should consider that even in our mind. If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.

So in the crux I would like to say that everyone faces challenges and after that they become successful and get fame after their hard work. So never stop yourself and your ideas even at the worse situation even.

Memories pierce the heart: Homoeroticism, Bollywood style.

Compiled by Oviya. E

Empower people has come up with another thought-provoking webinar. This webinar takes us through a journey where we see a different perspective of the normalities. The speaker of the day is Mr. Raj Rao, who is a writer, poet, academician, and queer activist. His notable works are hostel room 131; Madame, give me my sex, and the Boyfriend. Badal Thakker, an architect and an activist, is our panelist and Hridaya Ajgaonkar hosts the webinar.

Mr. Raj Rao discusses his article, which was published in the Queer Asian Cinema. He explains his perspective with the help of Amitabh Bachchan’s songs of the 1970s and 1980s.

He introduces a few critics who criticize and rise ideologies about gay films and about Queer society. Alexander Doty, in his work, Making things perfectly clear, has mentioned that “mainstream films arrest to straight audiences have greater potent for clear readings that gay films arrest to a gay audience.” Shohini Gosh, in her Monograph on film “fire”, quotes that in Hindi cinema, the vocabulary used for defining or portraying friendship and love often overlap. Mr.Rao mentions Eve Sedgwick, a queer theorist.

Renee Gerrard, a critic, has given insights on Gender Asymmetry and the Erotic triangle. His theory is that “in any erotic rivalry, the bond that links both the rivals is as potent as the bond that links either o the two rivals to their beloved. The bond of rivalry and love differently as they are experienced is equally powerful and in many senses the equivalent of each other.

Mr. Rao highlights the fact that in Hindi cinema, touch is gender-neutral and not gender-specific. This is not portrayed as sexual to the mainstream audience but it makes an impact on the queer community.

Mr.Rao uses Bachchan’s film songs in his presentation to bring to light, how homosexuality thrives in covert yet recognized places in Indian culture. The main reason behind highlighting Amitabh Bachchan is that he changed the grammar of Hindi Cinema. He brought in Action films apart from romantic films. His films often redefine male bonding.

The first song he presents is “Diye jalte hai” from the film “Namak Haram”. This song picturizes the cross-class friendship between Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna. Mr.Rao puts forth his ideology that the lyrics of this song could easily be used for a song describing the love between a man and a woman.

The next song he quotes is “Yaari hai imaan mera” from the film “zanjeer”. He highlights the use of the word “Yaar”. The mainstream and queer audience perceives the picturization of the affection shown between Pran and Amitabh Bachchan differently.

The lyrics are as follows:

Yaari Hai Meri Imaan Mera Yaar Meri Zindagi
Yaar Ho Bando Se Ye Oh
Yaar Ho Bando Se Ye Sabse Badi Hai Bandagi
Yaari Hai!
Yaari Hai Meri Imaan Mera Yaar Meri Zindagi

“Bane chahe Dushman” from the film “Dostana” is the next song described by Mr.Rao. He feels that no other love song can have better romantic lyrics than those belonging to this song. Those lyrics are as follows:

Pata koyi poochhe
To kehte hain hum
Ke ek duje ke dil me rehte
Hain hum rehte hain hum

Such songs, when staged before the audience in the west, are considered as songs that portray homosexual friendship.

In the song, “Mere dost Kissa yeh kya ho Gaya”, characters Vijay and Ravi are rivals yet they portray a lot of passion among them. This is the best example of the love triangle. Reduced importance is given to the heroine which is an outcome of the patriarchal community that still strive in our country.

Mr.Badal contributes many of his ideologies about the queer community. He is an avid reader of the queer community. He has read Mr.Rao’s BomGay and he appreciates its uniqueness. He is astonished by Mr.Rao’s perspective of approaching Amitabh Bachchan’s movies. He feels there is no queer space in our society and hence feels that it is important to introduce queer ideologies.

This webinar brings out a very different perspective of Hindi cinema. It is a webinar to be watched by both the mainstream and queer audience.

•  George Floyd’s case
•  USA protest amidst Covid-19
•  “Still I rise” poem by Maya Angelo
•  Racism in the US
•  Issues in minorities
•  Difficulties in employment
•  Statistics of police killing

•  Be consistently anti-racist rather than just “not racist”
•  Existence of the racism & denial
•  Lack of acknowledgement of the efforts and struggles of African-American protests & resultant privileges that Asian obtain in US
•  Immigration act 1965& Civil rights act 1968
•  Aftereffects of slavery
•  Indian’s fairness standards and casteism
•  Racist comments

•  Racism in India
•  Fairness obsession
•  Lack of anti-racism movement
•  Dalit &OBC movements
•  Muslims and religious conflicts
•  Indo-Africans
•  Personal experiences
•  Cast, religion, faith, physical appearance and language judgements in India