Mental Health and Sexuality 2

Editorial – Mental Health and Sexuality
A close-up photograph of a daisy
Mental health, much like physical health, is a state of wellbeing and not just the absence of disease or infirmity. Because each of us is unique, with our own particular temperaments, quirks and histories, we may react to situations differently. However, our wellbeing is affected not only by our individual traits but also by social, cultural and other systemic factors.
By TARSHI
September 19, 2022
Editorial – Mental Health and Sexuality
Where do we begin?
An office space with rows of desks. At the forefront are two desks with monitors, chairs and desk lamps. There are knick-knacks like a wooden statue of a cat, plan, a bottle containing amber-coloured liquid and cables.
What does it mean to extend acceptance and support in one of life’s most crucial areas – the workspace? How do we unpack the concept of positive discrimination and affirmative action at the level of the organisation.
By Shikha Aleya
September 19, 2022
Where do we begin?
When the Game is Set Against You, Why Play By The Rules?
A photograph of multi-coloured flower bouquets.
When working with clients at the margins, the effort is not just to find out what intersections they are at and what systems alienate or harm them, but also the internal factors that affect them in the process of exclusion and violence.
By Simran Kewlani and Vasudha Ramani
September 19, 2022
When the Game is Set Against You, Why Play By The Rules?
The Chronicles of the Changing Room: Reclaiming the Cubicle of Doom
A row Multicoloured scarves or dupattas tied in a knot and hanging from a bar.
The idea of a “desirable” body, sewn in my brain from the threads of Instagram reels, weight-loss ads, and the women on this store’s website, stitches the clothes I wear so that they become coloured in every shade of rejection. I wonder if the women I see outside the changing room, admiring themselves in the communal mirrors, seeking validation from their accompanying shoppers, feel the same way as I do inside their cubicle of doom.
By Sanskriti Bhardwaj
September 19, 2022
The Chronicles of the Changing Room: Reclaiming the Cubicle of Doom
“Darlings”: Two Women, One Story
A poster of the movie Darlings. Alia Bhatt is blowing a kiss to a miniature Vijay Varma who is depicted hanging on the top of a syringe.
Darlings, with the narratives of Badru (Alia Bhatt) and her mother, Shamshu (Shefali Shah), illustrates the story of ordinary women in India who are struggling to change their discourse, deconstruct their reality, and imagine miracles.
By Anuja Das
September 19, 2022
“Darlings”: Two Women, One Story
Sunflowers on a Frosty Morning
A close-up photograph of a sunflower with leaves and a blue sky in the background.

A few days ago, in a telephonic conversation with my mother, I was made aware of the inadequacies of my…

By Neel
September 19, 2022
Sunflowers on a Frosty Morning
Two Poems: ‘A room of one’s own’ & ‘Sunshine’
Photograph of the roots of a tree
You couldn’t begin to say the self Before someone helps you finish — Self-centred Self-serving Selfish
By Carol D'Souza
September 19, 2022
Two Poems: ‘A room of one’s own’ & ‘Sunshine’
This is how we do it
An abstract illustration of multi-coloured swirling patterns

We need to recognise that mental health stressors that queer people face are not because something is inherently wrong with them.

By Shruti Chakravarty
September 1, 2022
This is how we do it
Interview – Deepa Pawar
Training with nomadic tribe women & youth
If a community is suffering such severe challenges that are impacting them mentally over generations, over hundreds of years; if the ways of mentally exploiting them are so easy and accessible to all, this means that it is not they who are experiencing mental imbalance but society that is attacking their mental justice and stability.
By Shikha Aleya
September 1, 2022
Interview – Deepa Pawar
Obedience, the Greater Good and Self-Exploration
On a peach background is the illustration of a girl who is reaching out backwards towards a heart-shaped mirror with one hand. The other hand rests elegantly on her shoulder. Beside her are flowers in different colors, seemingly growing from the ground.
Years of control and suppression made their presence felt emotionally, mentally, and even physically. I would walk hunched up and was extremely conscious of how I should present myself physically, so as not to displease others. Those were very stressful days.
By Taniya Mondal
September 1, 2022
Obedience, the Greater Good and Self-Exploration
Nightmares of Being Chased by an Angry Mob
An abstract illustration of swirling patterns and splotches of mustard yellow, black, pale blue, deep orange and pale crimson. The patterns look like galaxies.
Someone like me, who was always vocal about sexuality, would feel invalidated speaking frankly about sex. Most doctors themselves weren’t comfortable discussing anything remotely pertaining to be a challenge in the sexual wellness area.
By Pooja Priyamvada
September 1, 2022
Nightmares of Being Chased by an Angry Mob
Queer mental health and therapy
Rows of Pantone swatches hanging from the ceiling.
Several outcomes of minority stress were observed in this study – feelings of guilt and shame, internalised homophobia, experiencing queerphobia, lack of acceptance, and family-related stress.
By Anuckriti Garg
September 1, 2022
Queer mental health and therapy
Of Identity and Belongings: The Gatekeeping within Queer Spaces
A close-up of chainmesh fencing.
No matter how much I wanted to be a part of the rainbow, it felt like the rainbow wanted no part of me. It was an elite space for the exuberant über cool gays, with access, privilege and a vocabulary filled with jargon. I couldn’t even decide if I was ‘gay enough’, let alone deconstruct my experiences, having being brought up in a heteronormative culture.
By Shubhangi
September 1, 2022
Of Identity and Belongings: The Gatekeeping within Queer Spaces
Video: “Me, We, Us”
A screenshot from the video. Against a black background, there is a faded illustration of a human face surrounded by concentric wave pattern. On top of the illustration are words in English and Hindi in two columns. On the left column are the words: Language, Sexuality, LGBTQIA+, Gender, Mental Health, Rights, Domestic Violence, Sex Work, Activists. On the right column are the words: Tension, Burnout Prevention, Anxiety, Stress, Risk

Conversations about stress, burnout and mental health have gained prominence, especially during and since the COVID-19 pandemic. But, what is stress and burnout?

By Curated Content
September 1, 2022
Video: “Me, We, Us”