Fifty shades of depression

Amarjot Kaur

Ironically, #SocialSpeakEasy is an attempt to initiate a discourse around various societal stigmas that we don’t easily speak about. Having tied up with Chandigarh’s Rangmanch, an initiative that creates awareness about mental health issues, for their open mic session on Sunday, more than 20 people from the city shared their experiences at Social in Sector 7.

Kriti, the 24-year-old founder of Rangmanch, tells us, “Rangmanch by Viroka, my wedding-planning company, is a stage for each person who is a sufferer and a survivor of mental health issues like depression, stress, anxiety and anger issues.” Rangmanch’s first edition was held at Upstairs club in April this year. Though the word ‘rangmanch’ is often associated with theatre and drama, its obscure reference to addressing psychological issues comes from the first trait that most depression patients exhibit. Kriti explains, “Most people who suffer from depression tend to masquerade their problems under a chirpy, happy exterior—they are natural actors. That’s where we get the name from,” she says.

With some 14 speakers on board and three guest speakers, Rangmanch was approached for the open mic event by Social not long ago. “I lost my father to cardiac arrest three months ago; my mother and brother are suffering from depression. A lot of times, people with psychological disorders don’t come out and speak up about their problems. We felt there was a huge gap between counsellors and depression patients, so we thought of building a community where they can share their experiences with like-minded, non-judgemental people. That’s what made Social reach out to us a month ago. The response was overwhelming. We advertised the event on Facebook, calling for entries and received some 93 applications,” Kriti says.

Sharmita Bhinder, one of the speakers at the event, narrated her story, talking of how she suffered a paralysis attack while trying to deal with her son’s illness and a failed business. While Soumya Joshi recited a poem, other speakers like 50-year-old Sumeet spoke of battling suicidal thoughts and Naiyaa narrated her tale of suffering from depression.

A three-hour long session gave much fodder for thought. “We are also raising funds from handmade photo frames and bottles, to fight depression and mental issues among the underclass,” Kriti signs off.

[email protected]