LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 24:9 September 2024
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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Reframing Mental Health: The Role of Memoirs in Challenging Stigmas in India

Sujata Patel, M.A., Ph.D. Research Scholar and
Dr. Smriti Singh, Ph.D.


Courtesy: www.amazon.com

Abstract

The prevalent narrative surrounding mental health conditions in India often perpetuates harmful stereotypes, linking mental health conditions with madness. These persistent misconceptions are reinforced through numerous literary texts and films, profoundly influencing public perceptions of mental health conditions in negative ways. In addition to these cultural representations, supernatural explanations further compound the understanding, attributing mental health conditions to factors like evil, spirit possessions, or a consequence of past misdeeds. In response to these challenges, life writing emerges as a powerful tool for marginalised voices to reclaim their narratives and provide a more nuanced understanding of the daily experiences of an individual with mental health conditions. By employing close reading and interpretive analysis, this study attempts to explore Reshma Valliappan’s memoir Fallen, Standing: My Life as a Schizophrenia (2015) to understand the way it challenges and counters the dominant discourse surrounding mental health conditions within the cultural context of India.

Keywords: Reshma Valliappan, Fallen, Standing: My Life as a Schizophrenia, mental health, schizophrenia, culture, media presentations.

Introduction

Mental Health narratives are crucial in shaping how societies understand and approach mental health conditions. These narratives are deeply embedded in culture, media, literature and daily discourses and can either help dismantle stigma or perpetuate harmful misconceptions about mental health. Arthur W. Frank argues that narratives are crucial in shaping public perception because they provide frameworks through which illness is understood and communicated (13). Mental health issues in many cultures are associated with deep-rooted taboos, and the prevailing narrative often links mental health conditions with notions of madness, danger, and weakness, contributing to a widespread culture of fear and misunderstanding.

In India, the narrative surrounding mental health conditions remains particularly fraught. The cultural understanding of mental health conditions in Indian society remains deeply rooted in an archaic and stereotypical manner. Sahi and Bhagat highlight that mental health conditions are frequently associated with madness, with derogatory terms such as ‘pagal’ (mad) and retard used indiscriminately (172). This association stems from the fact that Indian cultural and religious traditions have long intertwined illness and disability with moral failings or spiritual disturbances, and mental condition is no exception to this.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Sujata Patel, M.A.
Ph.D. Research Scholar
Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Bihta, Bihar, 801106
sujatapatel0987@gmail.com

Dr. Smriti Singh, Ph.D.
Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology Patna, India
smritichotu@gmail.com
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