This article was originally published on Women’s Web. Since the groundbreaking website went dark on July 2, 2024, I have republished it here.
Talking openly about mental health is still a taboo in much of Indian society. This makes it even more imperative
that we listen to what these Indian women, who are mental health bloggers, have to tell us.
“Tu pagal hai kya?”
“Why do you need a therapist?
“What is wrong with your life?”
“Why are you depressed? You have everything in life.”
“Depression is such a first-world problem.”
“I can’t afford to get depressed, my whole family will break!”
Why We Need Indian Mental Health Bloggers
These are words we often come across in our daily lives. Sometimes, we are also guilty of saying them to
someone. But the question is, do we really know what it is like to be depressed, the symptoms, causes, and cures? We need to deal with it empathetically. But if we don’t know enough, how do we empathize? This is where mental health bloggers come in to bridge the gap.
Since the awareness about and the dismantling of stereotypes on mental health began in the West, we have a lot
of Western mental health bloggers who create art to talk about mental health issues. In India, too, we have some interesting mental health bloggers who put together information that is relevant to our society.
Let’s take a look at some prolific mental health bloggers among Indian women, who are likely to understand the
nuances of women’s issues more easily than male mental health bloggers.
Neha Ghosh, Put That Cheese Burger Down
With a name that catchy, it is rare that you would pass on this blog. It’s a blog largely about health, but it also covers the mental health space.
Blogger Neha Ghosh is well known, and her blog has often been featured as one of the top
fitness blogs on the internet. Her mental health posts are resourceful and hands-on. Given that her blog has such a fresh vibe, you will want to ignore your chores and read every word.
Sonali Gupta at Sonali Gupta, Psychologist
It is usually wise to listen to a doctor. We are lucky that Sonali, a clinical psychologist, creates mental health content that everyone can access.
On her blog, she covers a lot of topics under mental health, focusing primarily on parenting and children’s mental health.
Bindiya Murgai, Healing Hideaway
Imagine going on a vacation to clear your baggage and take a break from the chaos of the urban world. Bindiya Murgai runs such an innovative endeavor with Healing Hideaway for people seeking travel therapy.
She designs retreat programs at hill stations, places where nature plays a big role in recovery. It’s a one-of-a-kind concept and is worth a try. Take a look at her blog, which details various aspects of mental health and also reports on how the past retreat programs have helped people overcome mental health problems.
Shailaja Vishwanath, The Moving Quill
Shailaja is a longtime blogger who has had varied experiences in both her career and life. Her blog, The Moving Quill, is a beautiful diary where she writes about her personal life.
She talks about various topics, mainly around personal growth, mental wellness, just being, and growing from strength to strength.
Arpita Nayak, The Bioscoped Life
Arpita Nayak is a mental health blogger who writes about mental health in a way that covers a wide range of topics. Her blog is hilarious, engaging, and interesting, and it is a challenge to stop yourself from reading it
from reading all of it in one go.
Arpita’s content is personal and mostly comes from her own experience. She shares her struggles with self-esteem, bullying, and depression. As a reader, when you read a firsthand account of someone battling these acute conditions, it feels good to know you are not alone.
Darshana Sarmah, Love Health Family
Darshana is a philosopher, a mom, an educationist pursuing a PhD, and above all, a positive
person. Her blog, Love Health Family, is a journal to help readers with stress and depression using meditation, and her content is positive enough to make one feel happy again.
Zeenat Merchant-Syal, Positive Provocations
Zeenat Merchant-Syal, along with being a writer and a mental health blogger, is also a psychologist, counsellor, and motivational speaker. Her blog posts help people to work on themselves, improve their mental health, and infuse positive energy into their lives.
Ashwini CN, As The Mind Wanders
Have you tried achieving your goals and consequently greatness in your life using paper clips? Yes, I know that question makes you curious to know more. Well, I sure do, and that’s how I was introduced to Ashwini CN’s eclectic blog.
Ashwini became a blogger just for the love of the written word. But today, she is a TEDx speaker. Her mental health content is extremely inclusive, delving into personal growth and dealing with stress.
Madhavi Panchal, Grockled Dopes
This blog’s content is really top-notch! At Grockled Dopes, Madhavi writes about her experience with
anxiety. Her blog is helpful for people battling with anxiety, depression, and overall mental health.
Mahevash Shaikh, Mahevash Muses
At Mahevash Muses, Mahevash writes articles and poems on mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, BPD, and PTSD. She believes that mental health issues, while clinical, are impacted by culture and society, too. Plus, she’s always believed that our world needs to evolve with the times and enable everyone to be authentic. So she also talks about sociocultural issues like toxic positivity, hustle culture, and feminism.
Owing to her lived experience with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and othering, this millennial woman aims to destigmatize mental illness and encourage people to live life on their own terms. Her writing has been published
in prominent websites like HuffPost, HealthyPlace, and Metro. To impart professional insight to her words, she is currently pursuing an online diploma in psychology.
Never Miss a Story from Mahevash Muses.
