Learning to cope

This Sunday, a session promises to create a safe environment to recognise and deal with anxiety

Only last year, President Ram Nath Kovind was quoted as saying that the number of people suffering from mental illness in India is greater than the population of Japan, while delivering a convocation address at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences in Bangalore — revealing the gravity of the epidemic in the country. And raising awareness about the subject still remains a challenge, what with a deep-rooted stigma. But neuropsychologist Jasdeep Mago and artist Jay Punjabi, through their organisation Invisible Illness, not only aim to de-stigmatise the topic but also provide reliable healthcare.

Jasdeep Mago with Jai Punjabi

This Sunday, the duo will be conducting a workshop called Acing Anxiety, outlining simple coping mechanisms that individuals can learn to deal with depression and anxiety. "It's a safe environment where people can share their experiences. It will be interactive, as opposed to a lecture-based session," Mago explains. The event will see attendees work out simulations to learn coping strategies, which aren't set in stone because everyone experiences anxiety differently. Mago breaks down a typical simulation exercise. "In our last workshop we asked participants, indirectly, to just imagine how their grandparents lived their lives back in the day. The answer they arrived at was that of having a daily routine, as opposed to the erratic timings people have to work under today," she says.

With the current scenario for mental healthcare in India being dominated by institutionalisation and the pharmaceutical industry, Mago maintains that although the workshop will address anxiety medication, it won't be the focus. She adds, "We wish to reach a point where we can eliminate mental health issues to a deeper extent. For instance, we give two individuals a situation and leave it to them to discuss a suitable coping mechanism for the same. Yes, medication is important, but it is also important to learn how you can control anxiety on your own."

On: October 14, 5 pm
At: Soul Club, Sunrise, Bandra West.
Log on to: instamojo.com
Cost: Rs 500

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