Patronus Mental Health

Harshika G – Head of operations

     You will only be able to perceive what you have within yourself in others.

     Hello! I’m Harshika, an engineering graduate. Love to travel like no other, an avid traveler who enjoys traveling and exploring various cultures from all over the world.

    I have always been intrigued by how the human brain works. Growing up, I could see how mental health affected the lives of people around me, from then I have always tried to understand mental health better and help people around me in any way possible. A lot of conflict and isolation can be avoided if people understand what someone is going through. With Patronus I wish to spread awareness and knowledge around various aspects of mental health, hoping to make this world a more accepting, supportive, and understanding place. 

    Being part of Patronus means more than just being part of an organization. It’s a way of doing my bit to provide comfort and help around mental health. 

    Find me on- Instagram: @harshika78

    Harshika G – Head of operations Read More »

    Anvita Nair – Founder

      Hi! I am Anvita, an engineering graduate, a mental health advocate, and a Fellow at Change.org India from Bangalore.

      I discovered my passion for psychology and mental health after having lost my best friend to suicide and having my own lived experience with mental illness. Since then, a lot of my free time has been dedicated to reading up on the status quo around mental health – through both scientific research and reading survivors’ stories –  to gain background on the gaps that can be filled. After seeing firsthand the debilitating effects that mental illness can have on the best of us, I realized that the first thing that needed to be changed was the dialogue surrounding it. And that was where the idea of Patronus was born. 

      With Patronus, I hope to do my small bit towards creating a world where mental health is not just a hushed conversation behind closed doors.

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      Founder’s note

      The idea of Patronus came to me in the fall of 2017, after I lost my best friend, Prajna, to suicide. The months following her loss were a mix of grief, confusion and an increasingly desperate will to create change. The loss of someone so important to me, compounded my passion for mental health with purpose.

      Over the last two years, I had my own sporadic struggles with mental health. I spent a lot of that time reading up on psychology and mental illness. My experience took me to some dark places that I would never wish upon anyone else. But the one thing it gave me was the reinforced motivation to do my part to make sure at least one other person did not go through what I did.
      It was at the end of 2019, when I had hit rock bottom with my mental health, that I decided it was time to bring this idea to life. I have experienced first-hand the debilitating effects mental illness can have on the best of us, and I realized that the first thing that had to change was the dialogue surrounding it.

      Patronus, to me, is an amalgamation of a lot of things: an initiative to engage in warm and comforting dialogue around mental health, a platform to destigmatize and humanize mental illness, and on a more personal note – an ode to Prajna, who, with her butterfly-like spirit, was the embodiment of all things positive.

      This journey made me realize how important it is to create something good out of a bad experience. Negative situations take a lot away from our lives, but leave behind just enough room to pivot them into something positively uplifting. Patronus is my pivot.

      A huge shoutout to my team of inspiring changemakers for adding their own perspectives to Patronus’ vision. I hope we can spread enough light and reassurance with our message.
      In the words of Viktor Hugo: What makes night within us, may leave stars.”

      Best,
      Anvita

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