2009 Rally for Recovery
In 2009, ASHA International collaborated with the Richmond Fellowship Society, Hymamshu Jyothi Kala Peetha, Family Physicians' Association - Bangalore, The Times Foundation and The Banyan in presenting a series of community education programs in India to promote mental health awareness and foster communities of hope and recovery. Nearly 500 students, teachers, parents, healthcare professionals, members of the general community, individuals with mental health issues and their care-providers attended the programs.
What people are saying…
“I sincerely thank both of you for your lucid & thought provoking talks given to our members today, titled Building Bridges: The Importance of Integrating Primary & Mental Health Care. I am sure all doctors present will seriously rethink seeing a mental health sufferer with a new vision – as a 'person' & not as a disease.
Considering the significant burden of mental illness and the largely unmet mental health needs of our huge population, we need to do a lot. Despite so few psychiatrists available in India, the tremendous workload on family physicians on a day to day basis, stigma & lack of awareness about mental health issues among the general population as well as primary care physicians, we need to somehow find ways to provide mental health care to our people.
This is only a beginning & I hope our association with both of you will bring fruitful results for our patients in the future.”
Dr.Ganesh Dhakappa
Honorable Secretary
Honorable Secretary
Family Physicians’ Association
Bangalore, India
“It was indeed a very fruitful day for all attending members of the Family Physicians’ Association of Bangalore. The presentations from both of you were Excellent.
Dr.Kalyana Sundaram's presentation was like a story we didn’t want to end, since he makes it more and more interesting. We had to curse the time.
One great thing about Mrs. Gayathri Ramprasad - In spite of having grown up children, she is never hesitant to disclose about her family’s struggles with psychiatric illness. Everyone tries to hide health secrets of the family and here is one GREAT EXCEPTION which shows her commitment to the society. My special thanks to her.
Feedback from our members encourages us to conduct similar CMEs in the future.”
Dr. V.S. Krishna Murthy
President
Family Physicians’ Association
Bangalore, India
“Thanks for sharing your own experiences so bravely. Your presentation is an eye opener to all of us to know that one can come out a winner in spite of certain mental health problems. You are an inspiration to all of us to help ourselves and others – A Source of Hope for All. Gayathri – ‘HATS OFF TO YOU!”
Dr. Hema Roychowdhury
Member, Family Physicians’ Association
Bangalore, India
“I am deeply touched! I want to be of help. Building Bridges: The Importance of Integrating Primary & Mental Health Care is a very useful presentation. Awareness about mental health issues has to be promoted in all walks and groups of people. Excellent presentation!!!”
Dr. Priti Shankar
Family Physician & Gynecologist
Member, Family Physicians’ Association
Bangalore, India
“The Power of Peers: The Role of Peers in the Mental Health System is a very innovative program. You are very courageous to come out openly and speak about personal experience with mental illness. Keep up the good work and reach out to underserved areas, especially in poorer countries.”
Susan Keter
Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (USP) Kenya
“Thank you very much for an excellent presentation, which offered a resounding message of hope and recovery.”
Mr. Praful P. Kapse
Psychiatric Social Worker
National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS)
Bangalore, India
“You are a wonderful speaker. It would be helpful for all patients in India and around the world if you could reach out to healthcare professionals. We surely need your assistance in raising awareness about mental health issues among healthcare professionals. Hope to see a day when doctors value patient’s experience and feelings.”
Psychiatric Social Worker
National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS)
Bangalore, India
“Impressive…Inspiring…Powerful voice of reality! Great work! I would love to work with you in the march towards recovery.”
Anish K.R.
Clinical Social Worker
Bangalore, India
“On behalf of Times Foundation I would like to thank you for making your presentation on 17th November, 2009 at Times office.
The information you shared at the wellness workshop – DEFEAT DEPRESSION: 8 Keys to Recover & Thrive is invaluable.
We look forward to having you present again at the Times in Bangalore.”
Aisha Amatul
Times Group, Bangalore
“I would like to see Dare to Care: What a Difference A Friend Makes presented every year in my school. It could help students like me a lot. The program was very useful to me. I also wanted to know more about ASHA International.”
10th Grade Student
Hymamshu Jyothi Kala Peetha
Bangalore, India
“Great Presentation! It would be of more help if programs like Dare to Care: What a Difference A Friend Makes is presented to children as well as to parents and teachers more often.”
Parent
Hymamshu Jyothi Kala Peetha
Bangalore, India
“Dare to Care: What a Difference A Friend Makes was a very informative presentation.
All educational institutions from schools to universities and the working sector will benefit from this presentation.”
G. Annapoorna
Hymamshu Jyothi Kala Peetha
Bangalore, India
“Dare to Care: What a Difference A Friend Makes is an excellent presentation. Very appealing as it had the personal experience. The presentation was inspiring with a very strong, positive approach to life.”
Anonymous
Hymamshu Jyothi Kala Peetha
Bangalore, India
“The presentation by Mrs. Gayathri Ramprasad with reference to her own difficult history of mental illness, gives hope to those who have to deal with such issues in their own life.”
G. Shantarm
Hymamshu Jyothi Kala Peetha
Bangalore, India
“I am deeply indebted to you for the excellent opportunity provided to me to listen to you at the workshop DEFEAT DEPRESSION: 8 Keys to Recover & Thrive on 17-11-2009 at the Times of India office. Being a care-giver to a person with psychiatric illness, it was an educative process and a memorable experience for me. Your presentation was excellent and thought-provoking, kindling a ray of hope in all the participants that there is real Hope for Mental patients. Your life experience that you shared with us is a testimony towards this possibility.
When there is so much social stigma about Mental illness in India, your bold step would go a long way in promoting understanding & recovery from Depression & other mental illnesses.
I look forward to listening to you in the near future.
If I could be of any help to you in furthering the cause of your organization ASHA International please feel free to inform me.”
B.Nagesh Rao
Caregiver
Bangalore, India
“I truly enjoyed your presentation - CULTURE COUNTS: Variations in Cultural Value Systems and its Impact on Mental Illness, Treatment and Psychosocial Rehabilitation, at the 2009 World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation conference in Bangalore.
it was educational and heartfelt. It gave me a unique perspective as a psychiatrist to hear your presentation with your own experience in it.
We truly need people like you to continue their zealous efforts in our field.”
Dr. Quddusa Doongerwala M.D.
Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist
San Mateo, California, USA
“CULTURE COUNTS: Variations in Cultural Value Systems and its Impact on Mental Illness, Treatment and Psychosocial Rehabilitation - This presentation is problem solving in approach as it reveals clearly the answer as to why inclusion in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) has become so difficult. These countries adopt the pro-European model of psychiatry while the illness is African/Asian by origin.
The presentation paves way for the world to tackle such antagonism and if possible let us strongly focus on tackling such issues basing on the real situation of the entire geographical, cultural and economical as well as historical back ground of the problem in question.
It was a great presentation. I honored it.”
Eliezer Robert Mdakilwa.
President, TUSPO – (Tanzania Users and Survivors of Psychiatry Organization)
TANZANIA
“The seminar we attended DEFEAT DEPRESSION: 8 Keys to Recover & Thrive was a very well presented talk, emulating your personal battle with depression. It was in par with the self-help lectures given by such gurus as Wayne Dryer, Deepak Chopra etc.
I thought you detailed your experiences so well that many in the audience could relate to, as people go through such situations or family members and friends battling the illness, especially the taboos faced by the people with mental illness, in Indian culture and how inadequate the awareness in the medical community, was presented well.
This talk not only stresses the need for family support but also the effort to be put in by the patients themselves to recover.
I thought it was a very well received and well attended presentation.
Overall, it was a very professional and informative presentation, to which the audience could relate to, giving them lots of hope, which can save some lives.
Overall, it was a very professional and informative presentation, to which the audience could relate to, giving them lots of hope, which can save some lives.
Keep it up! Shed light on this field and the inadequacies of the medical profession in treating this ailment.”
Lalitha Raghunathan,Ph.D,
Director, Medical Genetics (Retd.)
Legacy Health System,
Portland,Oregan,USA
Director, Medical Genetics (Retd.)
Legacy Health System,
Portland,Oregan,USA
“Thank you for conducting the 'Power of Peers' workshop at Chetana. It was an eye-opener to the immense possibilities of integrating peers in the therapeutic process and the fight against mental illness and stigma. Having heard it from you was added proof that it is truly possible. I would love to witness and participate in this movement in my journey to becoming a mental health worker and a responsible citizen.
Thank you again for a powerful, moving and motivating talk.”
Sneha
Richmond Fellowship Postgraduate College
Bangalore, India
“We were very fortunate to hear Gayathri Ramprasad share her life, experiences and journey in coping with mental health issues at the WAPR Conference at NIMHANS, India, in November 2009. It takes great courage to talk openly about one’s challenges and we are so proud of Gayathri’s honesty, integrity and commitment to spread the message of hope to families everywhere. As a counselor who works for mental health, these are very encouraging means for clients and families to understand that they are not alone, acknowledge and accept the challenges ahead and reach out for help.”
Dr. Jaishri Iyer
Counselor
Bangalore, India.