Mental Health Champions: Why & How Mrinal Gokhale Is Helping To Champion Mental Wellness

An Interview With Michelle Tennant Nicholson

Every morning, I do about 10 minutes of Bhastika Pranayma and alternate nostril breathing- two forms of breathing based yoga in bed.

As a part of our series about Mental Health Champions helping to promote mental wellness, I had the pleasure to interview Mrinal Gokhale.

Mrinal Gokhale is an author and speaker based in Wisconsin. Her first anthology book, Saaya Unveiled, shares true stories relating to how South Asians growing up in the West navigate mental health stigma. Since its publication, Mrinal has collaborated with various organizations relating to mental health advocacy, such as Raksha, Daya Houston, and the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Community Conversations campaign.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?

I grew up in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in a family of four including myself. I was born to Indian parents who immigrated to the States where they gave birth to my brother and me, and earned their professional degrees in engineering. I grew up in a segregated White American suburb but then moved to the city when I went off to college, where I got my degree in business. I loved writing, liberal arts, and all things health and human brain related, and knew I wanted to do something with that. Like many South Asian American children I knew, I struggled with balancing the American and South Asian culture, but ultimately found it fulfilling as I became an adult.

You wrote a book that is helping to promote mental wellness. Can you tell us a bit about what you or your book are trying to address?

My book shares 11 true stories from South Asians that were born and raised in the West and have their own journeys with mental health. They navigated the cultural stigma that comes with things like seeking a therapist, getting a diagnosis, taking medicine, and other Western treatments associated with mental health. Each story is told in third person, based on interviews I did with those individuals and also includes direct quotes from them. Some conditions discussed include anxiety, depression, PTSD, eating disorders, and psychosis. Social issues explored include religion, trauma, loss, divorce, and academia. The theme of the book is cultural intersection in relation to mental health, and South Asian immigrants can learn how the younger generations experience and address mental health in the West, while children of South Asian immigrants can relate to the stories, feeling less alone. Hopefully healthcare providers can learn how to address intersectionality as well.

Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?

Growing up, I had academic as well as social emotional learning difficulties that were not addressed professionally in comparison to my non South Asian peers. I began therapy at the age of 20 through my college’s low cost psychology clinic, and did not have to go through insurance. Since then, I have not looked back and have continued on this journey of self discovery and wellness. At some point I realized I know no South Asians that attended therapy or have a mental health story.

Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?

I was taking a memoir writing course when the pandemic began, and at the end, the course instructor taught us about publishing, and I was attracted to the idea of self publishing. So I began brainstorming what I enjoy reading and writing, knowing I wanted to become an author. At some point, I wrote that the human brain and mental health conditions are a special interest of mine. I also realized that for Mental Health Awareness Month in my city, I saw organizations work to fight stigma in Latino and African American communities, but not Asian. On top of that, I knew no Indian or otherwise South Asian folks in my community that talked about their mental health. So I finally put my journalist hat on and started finding and speaking with South Asian mental health organizations. These organizations connected me to people who had a willingness to tell me their story. So I decided to proceed with writing an anthology.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you published your book?

I discovered a passion for something I never thought I would enjoy- public speaking. I also learned more about brand building than my education and prior jobs have taught me. When I first published, I knew I had to do all I could to spread the word to my target audience, so I jumped on any opportunity to do a podcast interview or Instagram live for platforms that my audience was on. Being socially awkward and introverted, I would avoid public speaking like the plague before this. And even though it was hard putting myself in front of the camera at first, every interview just made me feel more and more at ease to the point where I enjoy speaking. I also had one public speaking event in person since the publication, which I also enjoyed.

None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?

I have everyone to thank who helped with the production of my book, as well as those who interviewed me with the media, and helped spread the word about my book to those who would benefit by reading it. But I wouldn’t have learned about self publishing and improved my writing style if it was not for the instructor of that free memoir writing class.

According to Mental Health America’s report, over 44 million Americans have a mental health condition. Yet there’s still a stigma about mental illness. Can you share a few reasons you think this is so?’

I think that conditions like depression and anxiety are better accepted than they were years ago compared to conditions like psychosis. But that’s because anxiety and depression are things that so many of us are likely to have at some point in life.

I think it began with the media portrayals, such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. News media and entertainment platforms have spent many years only portraying the most extreme and sensational images of mental illness. So many people I meet don’t even know that there is a difference in the meaning of the terms “mental health” and “mental illness!” I think many people also don’t think that mental health is a “spectrum” that we are all on and will be on at some point in life.

Once when I was in group therapy years ago, one attendee with bipolar disorder discussed how he hesitates to tell people about his condition until he knows them well. He stated that whenever a mass shooting takes place, news reporters usually say the suspect is Schizophrenic or Bipolar. He also said that when picking up his medicine, Lithium, which the band Linkin Park once made a song about, the pharmacy workers have often stated they need to seek supervision before handing it over.

I think almost every condition portrayed in the DSM-5 has one particular image portrayed in the media. These images have been burnt into people’s minds to the point where they don’t consider that any one disorder or condition can manifest in multiple ways. A therapist acquaintance even once said to me that the DSM-5 does not detail people’s cultural or societal expectations and how these factors can make a condition take on a form of its own. That said, we also need to show that people with mental health conditions can be all genders, sexual orientations, ethnic and racial backgrounds backgrounds, religions and spritualities, educational and socioeconomic levels etc.

In your experience, what should a) individuals b) society, and c) the government do to better support people suffering from mental illness?

Individuals should start to examine how they take care of themselves, feel about themselves, and what their view of mental health is, as well as people who have mental health challenges. If you fear seeking help, ask yourself why that could be, and where you learned those ideologies. Start to educate yourself of what mental health versus mental illness is, as well as getting to know people with various mental health challenges beyond what you see in the media.

Society should stop labeling people with mental health challenges as crazy, unsafe, or incapable of being a contributing member of society. These perceptions make people afraid to seek help or even get themselves and their family tested for a diagnosis. We need to see getting a diagnosis as a first step to achieving your wellness rather than boxing yourself into a life sentence in the dark. From a former reporter’s perspective, we should illustrate the fact that mental health is a spectrum in the media. When it comes to Mental Health Month, we shouldn’t just publish stories on controversial topics like suicidality or recovery from psychosis. We should also discuss things like social anxiety disorder, ADHD, OCD, Autism, Dyslexia, etc and the mental health challenges that come with them. Also, I realize that there’s a big stigma behind taking medicines. It’s labeled a sign of weakness or an idea of putting poison into your body. People should educate themselves about why medicines are developed, what makes them “safe” to take, and why some may not survive without them, but also why some can go from surviving to thriving by using them.

Government should make mental health care — both holistic and Western- more accessible. Therapists are quite costly and there are several that do not accept health insurance, but holistic services are even harder to access due to cost.

What are your 5 strategies you use to promote your own wellbeing and mental wellness? Can you please give a story or example for each?

1. Every morning, I do about 10 minutes of Bhastika Pranayma and alternate nostril breathing- two forms of breathing based yoga in bed.
2. I make it a point to get movement in my day, at least 30 minutes. I take advantage of my company’s gym and free fitness classes during the day when possible, and I also take at least one dance and Pilates class per week. It not only keeps my body weight healthy, but makes me feel confident, happy, and more focused.
3. I’m currently not in therapy, but have been in the past, and think almost everyone should go at some point. It’s not just something you should attend when you’re in a crisis. It’s important everyone get to know why they are the way they are, in relation to their upbringing and past. It’s also important to know what aspects of your thinking and viewing the world are “healthy” and what could be improved upon and how, which I think therapy is great for.
4. I have benefitted from psychiatric medicines, both daily and as-needed. I used to believe that medicines should only be used if you are a danger to yourself or others, but when I used it for the first time after a job loss, I was proven wrong. Just a few months in, many people around me told me they saw a difference in my mood and that I seem more socially at ease. This taught me the importance of putting feel good chemicals in your brain.
5. Somatic therapies that help me feel good. For me, this ranges from dance classes, movement based meditation to once a month massages and facials, once a week relaxing baths, and community sound baths. I’ve also tried brainspotting along with talk therapy.

What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a mental health champion?

The Desi Condition podcast, Brown Women Health podcast, Drug Use for Grown Ups by Dr. Carl Hart, ADDitude, Brown Girl Magazine, and Neuroclastic.

If you could tell other people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?

Don’t be ashamed of your story. It’ll inspire others.

How can our readers follow you online?

Instagram and Tik Tok: mrinalg_

Twitter: Gokhale_Mrinal

I’m also on LinkedIn and Facebook.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!

About the Interviewer: Inspired by the father of PR, Edward Bernays (who was also Sigmund Freud’s nephew), Michelle Tennant Nicholson researches marketing, mental injury, and what it takes for optimal human development. An award-winning writer and publicist, she’s seen PR transition from typewriters to Twitter. Michelle co-founded WasabiPublicity.com.