Tale of a Mother
Minu Budhia talks about how her daughter with special needs, Prachi, led her to self-discovery;
In the small industrial town of Tinsukia in Assam, a couple of decades ago, in a big joint family of around 50 people, lived a young, feisty girl. The eldest of four children, she had a happy childhood, filled with love and laughter. It was a simpler time and an easy childhood as parents, unlike those of today, did not have a lot of expectations from their children. Left to her own devices, she rode bikes with her brothers, played outdoors with 20 odd cousins every day, sat down to mass meals with them, pursued her studies, and dreamt of becoming a doctor. However, for girls those days, in a quiet little town, the only option was humanities. And then, in the first year of college, she married and moved to Kolkata. That girl is Minu Budhia.
Minu Budhia – Psychotherapist, Counsellor, Founder of Caring Minds & ICanFlyy shared her journey of Self Discovery. Minu Budhia, a special Needs Mother shared with the audience how her younger daughter Prachi's ADHD, low IQ, and Bipolar disorder diagnosis had initially shattered her, but ultimately set her on a path of self-discovery. Speaking of the challenges she reiterated the importance of looking beyond stereotypes, not being judgemental and asking for help when one needs it and highlighted the importance of breaking the stigma surrounding mental health with awareness and making mental healthcare easily accessible. Her passion and dream gave birth to CARING MINDS – a Psychological Wellness Centre – her 3rd baby and then ICANFLYY, an Institute for Special Needs.
Minu Budhia strongly echoes "Enable the Able" which is the motto of her life and her organisations. Accepting yourself, as you are, and being okay with it, is key to living a healthy life. And sometimes we need help and guidance to do this. Her entrepreneurial venture, a social initiative in the field of Mental Healthcare, is there to provide this helping hand.
Mental illness can make an appearance any stage of one's life whether childhood, adolescence, adulthood or old age. It may be genetic or may develop after a trauma. The point is, it could happen to anyone and it should not make us a social pariah.