I just had lunch with my friend Gayathri. She is one of the most amazing people I know. She moved here from India in an arranged marriage over 20 years ago and just wrote her story in a new memoir. She had a lot of depression and anxiety when she was growing up. She moved to America with her new husband and a lot of expectations. Her descriptions of what it was like to go to a grocery store for the first time are amazing: “I never knew there were so many types of cereal!”
Gayathri and I became friend through NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) seven years ago. We have been friends ever since. Isn’t it great when you meet someone who understands what it’s like to have a mental illness? We have our own language. That is how I feel after I speak to a large crowd and I talk to people afterwards and I get to meet people like myself.
Gayathri was in the psychiatric ward two times after she had her first child. She writes about this in her book. The depression and anxiety simply became too much. I bet if you look at her you would think- how could she possibly be depressed! Well, those of us who get depressed come in all shapes and sizes. There is no particular look.
I am thankful for Gayathri because she is there for me when I need her. Like today when it’s dark and rainy outside and I feel dark and rainy inside. It’s so important to have friends who understand!
You can read more about Gayathri at www.MindBeautiful.com
This is Gayathri when she was a guest on my radio show!
