Episode 35: Mental Health Stories That Inspire Hope And Healing

We all have things that affects our mental health, and it can feel very vulnerable to share them with others. In this episode, Abhjith Ravinutala joins the show for an inspiring, vulnerable, and courageous conversation about mental health. He shares his personal experiences with mental health, how the loss of a loved one led him to create MannMukti, and how the perception of mental health has changed over the years within the South Asian community. We also explore Abhjith's love for writing and his passion for creating or understanding a modern version of Hinduism. Join us for a deeply authentic and meaningful episode of the show!

🍿 WATCH NEXT: https://youtu.be/QzvohWZ9M1g

🔗 HELPFUL RESOURCES
👩🏽‍💻 Abhijith's personal website - https://www.AbhjithR.com
👩🏽‍💻 MannMukti's website  - https://www.mannmukti.org/
🎥 MedCircle YouTube account with videos on personality disorders - https://www.youtube.com/@MedCircle
🎥 Dr. Tracey Marks: What social isolation does to your brain - https://youtu.be/c7_qmkmP-JM?si=cNyePnOMSR_2ihIq
📰 Nicolas Kristof's article on loneliness - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/opinion/loneliness-epidemic-solutions.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

👋🏽 CONNECT WITH US:
📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chaiacrossgenerations
📧 Email - chaiacrossgenerations@gmail.com

🙋🏽‍♂️WHO ARE WE?:
Hi! We are friends a generation apart who explore a new topic each week to better understand - and maybe even bridge - the gap between generations. We want to help people feel seen and heard in their experiences and to create greater understanding between our listeners and their loved ones.

🎥 WHERE TO WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/CRPVARK_Md4

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Opening thoughts
04:24 Experiencing culture shock as a kid moving to America 
06:50 History as a study of what makes people tick 
09:22 How the loss of a loved one inspired the birth of MannMukti 
14:01 The power of storytelling to highlight mental health challenges in MannMukti 
17:54 How the perception of mental health in the South Asian community has changed 
24:12 A powerful, personal experience of sharing mental health challenges with family and friends 
33:58 Feeling the despair of depression and the struggle to talk about it 
37:57 Balance between parents wanting to help and a child not knowing why they’re feeling depressed
42:48 How to improve the conversation generationally around mental health 
47:44 Nikil’s experience with mental health over the years 
51:37 Why is mental health a bigger focus now than in previous generations?
58:32 Accepting our gifts of sensitivity in a society that may not always value it 
1:04:30 Creating or understanding a modern version of Hinduism 
1:17:48 Understanding Hinduism inside and outside of South Asia
1:25:11 A token of thanks and how to find Abhijith’s work 
1:26:49 Takeaways from the conversation 
1:32:57 Closing thoughts

Chapters

• 0:00 Opening thoughts
• 4:24 Experiencing culture shock as a kid moving to America
• 6:50 History as a study of what makes people tick
• 9:22 How the loss of a loved one inspired the birth of MannMukti
• 14:01 The power of storytelling to highlight mental health challenges in MannMukti
• 17:54 How the perception of mental health in the South Asian community has changed
• 24:12 A powerful, personal experience of sharing mental health challenges with family and friends
• 33:58 Feeling the despair of depression and the struggle to talk about it
• 37:57 Balance between parents wanting to help and a child not knowing why they’re feeling depressed
• 42:48 How to improve the conversation generationally around mental health
• 47:44 Nikil’s experience with mental health over the years
• 53:17 Why is mental health a bigger focus now than in previous generations?
• 58:32 Accepting our gifts of sensitivity in a society that may not always value it
• 1:04:30 Creating or understanding a modern version of Hinduism
• 1:17:48 Understanding Hinduism inside and outside of South Asia
• 1:25:11 A token of thanks and how to find Abhijith’s work
• 1:26:49 Takeaways from the conversation
• 1:32:57 Closing thoughts