BY DEIVKA C. MEHTA
LOS ANGELES, CA - For some life is a gift, for others it is a burden. According to statistics, nearly 3.5 million people in the US deal with the problem of acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one form of a diverse set of mental illnesses. One Indian-American group, which understands the root cause of mental health stigma,
LOS ANGELES, CA - For some life is a gift, for others it is a burden. According to statistics, nearly 3.5 million people in the US deal with the problem of acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one form of a diverse set of mental illnesses. One Indian-American group, which understands the root cause of mental health stigma,
is coming forward to help those in dire need. I-AM SHAKTI, which translates into ‘Indian-American Power’ or ‘I AM Power’, is a movement that was launched in the fall of 2017 to sensitize Indian-Americans to mental health challenges while giving hope and support to those affected.
It is an effort, raised and motivated by six students in their 20s- Archit Baskaran, Aishwarya Chenji, Ragashree Komandur, Shyam Mani, Nikita Saladi, and Dhivya Sridar all from Northwestern University in Illinois, who are trying to raise awareness among the Indo-American community through multiple initiatives, including their website ‘I-AM SHAKTI’ and Facebook page that deals with stories of silent struggles, sorrow, trauma, and strife.
According to Saladi, one of the six core organizers, “I-AM SHAKTI was born from our own diverse experiences with mental health challenges and from experiencing first-hand the stigma in our communities.” “Though it started with an Indian focus, we stand as allies in strong solidarity with all and welcome all who wish to get involved.” She added, “Mental illness affects people in ways that are often silent and hard to understand. We all have battled a mental health challenge at one point of time, whether from insecurities, self-esteem issues, self-doubts, sorrows, or challenging social or professional events. We must recognize that our community is not immune from these challenges and that we can support each other instead of making such difficulties worse”
Another core organizer, Baskaran wrote about his perspective, saying “Today life is really hectic, every phase demands high expectations because of which we are subjected to debilitating pressures?—?from ourselves, from family, from friends, from society which usually engages in social comparisons. Meanwhile, we suppress, guise our struggles, and bask like perfectionist puppets without proper recourse for vulnerability.” He noted, “At I-AM SHAKTI we believe in the transformative capacities of hope. Furthering the thought we look forward to help people complicit with the marginalization of mental illness and share a positive attitude towards life.” Giving examples of how generation gap and different set of cultural values affect the Indian mindset, she maintained that many Indian-Americans and more broadly, South Asian Americans battle mental illness daily.
“In a sad state of affairs even parents and elders are affected.” As per a report by Baskaran, “Over 60 million people in India suffer from mental disorders. South India has the world’s highest suicide rate for female teens. India alone accounts for 30% of global suicides. Yet, more than 80% of Indians never seek care, offered by less than three psychiatrists per million people. And this is under-reported. In the US, the suicide rate among South Asian women is higher than that of the US population, while use of mental health care is among the lowest.” Informing about the upcoming ventures, Saladi concluded, “Recently, we launched our website I-AM SHAKTI, a platform where people can tell their stories. Next, we launched a Facebook page where again people can connect with others who are affected by mental illness, and we will soon be visiting local Indian American community organizations to ensure we are engaging all parts of the Indian-American community”
“We are also trying to connect with more people and share their stories for further initiatives. These stories remain the sources of our most profound strength, solidarity, and resilience,’’ she added. For more info: www.iamshakti.org or www.facebook.com/iamshakti1/
It is an effort, raised and motivated by six students in their 20s- Archit Baskaran, Aishwarya Chenji, Ragashree Komandur, Shyam Mani, Nikita Saladi, and Dhivya Sridar all from Northwestern University in Illinois, who are trying to raise awareness among the Indo-American community through multiple initiatives, including their website ‘I-AM SHAKTI’ and Facebook page that deals with stories of silent struggles, sorrow, trauma, and strife.
According to Saladi, one of the six core organizers, “I-AM SHAKTI was born from our own diverse experiences with mental health challenges and from experiencing first-hand the stigma in our communities.” “Though it started with an Indian focus, we stand as allies in strong solidarity with all and welcome all who wish to get involved.” She added, “Mental illness affects people in ways that are often silent and hard to understand. We all have battled a mental health challenge at one point of time, whether from insecurities, self-esteem issues, self-doubts, sorrows, or challenging social or professional events. We must recognize that our community is not immune from these challenges and that we can support each other instead of making such difficulties worse”
Another core organizer, Baskaran wrote about his perspective, saying “Today life is really hectic, every phase demands high expectations because of which we are subjected to debilitating pressures?—?from ourselves, from family, from friends, from society which usually engages in social comparisons. Meanwhile, we suppress, guise our struggles, and bask like perfectionist puppets without proper recourse for vulnerability.” He noted, “At I-AM SHAKTI we believe in the transformative capacities of hope. Furthering the thought we look forward to help people complicit with the marginalization of mental illness and share a positive attitude towards life.” Giving examples of how generation gap and different set of cultural values affect the Indian mindset, she maintained that many Indian-Americans and more broadly, South Asian Americans battle mental illness daily.
“In a sad state of affairs even parents and elders are affected.” As per a report by Baskaran, “Over 60 million people in India suffer from mental disorders. South India has the world’s highest suicide rate for female teens. India alone accounts for 30% of global suicides. Yet, more than 80% of Indians never seek care, offered by less than three psychiatrists per million people. And this is under-reported. In the US, the suicide rate among South Asian women is higher than that of the US population, while use of mental health care is among the lowest.” Informing about the upcoming ventures, Saladi concluded, “Recently, we launched our website I-AM SHAKTI, a platform where people can tell their stories. Next, we launched a Facebook page where again people can connect with others who are affected by mental illness, and we will soon be visiting local Indian American community organizations to ensure we are engaging all parts of the Indian-American community”
“We are also trying to connect with more people and share their stories for further initiatives. These stories remain the sources of our most profound strength, solidarity, and resilience,’’ she added. For more info: www.iamshakti.org or www.facebook.com/iamshakti1/
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