This evocative collection weaves together lived experiences of women in urban India who have been navigating severe mental health conditions, from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, complex PTSD, suicide loss and suicidality to trauma, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, OCD and ADHD. Emerging from spaces that are not always safe or supportive, they challenge the label of 'brokenness' and help reshape prevailing perspectives on the idea of wholeness. They also have the capacity to inform and inspire change in how families, communities, workplaces and even mental health professionals understand and respond to mental health conditions.
Each woman's account holds up a mirror to society's discomfort with mental illness-questioning biases, unlearning stereotypes and naming invisible strengths that often go unnamed. Collectively, they create a tapestry of vulnerability and resilience, inspiring others to walk the path of pain to purpose.
Beyond tokenism, this book opens up possibilities, and an opportunity to truly embrace and internalise these learnings in the context of other lives; and the courage and validation needed for us to go into our own dark corners and heal those invisible parts of ourselves that we may have left behind.