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