𝐀 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡

Noted psychiatrist Dr. Harish Shetty, who sits at Dr. L. H. Hiranandani Hospital and is Governing Board member at National Testing Agency, delivered a powerful and highly engaging address at Only Women, on the 3^rd of May. In his inimitable style, with humour infused in his speech against the backdrop of amusing slides, he highlighted the need to normalise conversations around mental health for women.

He also spoke about the role of family and peers in fostering mental resilience and the societal challenges that shape it. Drawing attention to the emotional strength of Indian women, whom he described as “more aspirational than women in any other country,” Dr. Shetty, through a poignant real-life example, said, “An underprivileged woman of a certain community standing patiently outside an examination hall while her daughter wrote her exams inside, speaks volumes about the aspirations of the common Indian woman”.

Addressing the stigma around separation and breakups, Dr. Shetty said, “Separation and break-ups are important to grow. Life cannot be mushy-mushy all the time. We must talk about normalising the break-up of a child”. While speaking about depression and suicides, he made a poignant statement, “A bored wife is more prone to suicide than depression”.

Speaking on mindfulness, which has become the catchphrase of modern times, he said, “Vipashyana existed in our culture long back. Do not forget that vipashyana is free of cost at all centres while for mindfulness, you have to pay”.

Dr. Shetty’s address served as a powerful reminder that mental health is not a luxury, but a necessity—especially for women who often bear the emotional weight of families and communities, and workplaces too. He ended his enlightening talk with, “The motto, ‘joy is my birthright and I shall have it’ must be taught to women”.

Only Women members interacted with Dr. Shetty much after his empowering talk was over. “Learn to live for yourself,” he said in the about three hours he spent at the Only Women engagement, personally asking the members about their work and life. His parting shot was, “Imperfection is life. Nothing is perfect. So don’t go after perfection”.

Some of the gems from Dr. Shetty’s address:

• “Separation is important to grow. Break-up is important to grow. So begin normalising your child’s break-up instead of mollycoddling your child after a break-up”.
• “Anger is a cosmic emption. Humiliation is not”
• “Imperfection is life. Don’t run after perfection”.
• “All working women work thrice as much as men”.
• “If kids cry, let them cry. If they are able to face frustration when young, they will be able to face frustration in the future”.