Chemical Khichdi: How I Hacked My Mental Health | Part memoir & part self-help & therapy guide Paperback – 25 August 2022

This is a book which I have in my hands 30 years late. If I had this knowledge and the description of management through the eyes of a person who is managing it , it would have helped members of my family. It is an excellently written book because I have witnessed similar journeys and how they were handled. Mental disorders are chemical imbalances as we know now and as written nothing to do with personality , family upbringing and can be managed well like diabetes and hypertension provided one accesses a professional , medicines and has family support. These disorders are common but it is not spoken as people find it shameful, carry stigma which is natural and Ms. Aparna has written it in a lucid manner in chapter 4. She has put periods and how she has progressed and her daily schedule. It shows that this does not hamper intellect and one can go about doing their work through the ups and downs of the illness. This is a huge revelation. There are degrees of the disorders but a lot of them can manage and work. Chapter 5 team sport is very important as most of the people want to stay away as they think they will come at harm but actually the person gets harmed from other people more due to their attitudes. The spiritual and lifestyle therapy part add a dimension and rightly said as a garden of mental wellness. page 230 quote - It is well managed and is not a life sentence is so illuminating as this can relieve a lot of burden what people go through. chapter 12 future therapies is a very good insight with metabolic psychiatry. Her description of her family life , education and how she has dealt with her life in parallel, how her sons, husband and extended family handle it is very very important as this is a key to manage it well. Further to this , to accept it and discuss it so well has given hope to a lot of people who suffer , families and can help in normalising it to a large extent. A lot of people are in denial and this scientific , treatment and management pathway will help people cope with it better. I have attended self help groups and they do a excellent job but most of it makes it difficult combine the knowledge on how to handle it. This is a ready reckoner to get started. One only needs the courage to take the first step to meet a mental health expert and rest will fall through with the 7 steps mentioned. I would also suggest that a section on medications which will reduce the myths on medicines will be a great step in the next edition as she has mentioned lithium as a poem. The benefits of Telehealth as she has mentioned are immense as in our case the travel to mumbai to meet a psychiatrist used to create discomfort amongst families. It is a very powerful book and I could perhaps write more about each page as I have lived through those experiences of seeing families. Page 105 mentions about the strain on caregivers and it is so well put as people struggle a lot. The culture of blaming and lack of transparency as she has put creates a lot of friction which takes away the attention from the real issue of managing the person who is suffering. Families are in denial and this book and the author's articulate writing and communication will break a lot of shackles in management of conditions. Perhaps change was to happen and this pandemic was a catalyst or a tipping point. I congratulate the author and living through the maze of these conditions which cause more social impact than the disease itself , it is the perfect recipe to put your best foot forward. Bravo Ms.Aparna Piramal Raje.

I just finished reading your book and let me tell you it is really written so well and it shows how actually a person going through bipolarity feels and thinks . There is so much honesty and the flow of writing is fluid without any distraction which i like ..this book is not only about you but a deeper understanding towards mental health as a whole and surely it should be used as a reference by all students and professionals working in this field It also shows how a person can accept his emotional state and by practicing all the given therapies how one can attain a balanced lifestyle I know there are struggles and everyone goes throgh it and as you rightly said we all are on a spectrum only difference is we should be able to acknowledge our position on it . All your therapies are so well explained and your due credit to each one as therapists and caregivers is commendable!! It shows how sensible creature you are and an extraordinary soul I have noticed and felt that those who face mental health issues and those who are highly intelligent surely have greater understanding of spirituality and you have tried to throw light on that area too There is so much to learn from you I am pretty sure you have managed all your roles with super power and intelligence I wish you all the very best in future and am looking forward to more of your writings!!! Have a great day !!!😍😍

The narrative was very interesting.Some parts of the book were a bit like a reference book, but presumably useful to someone who reads this as a guide to dealing or understanding Bipolar disease.Very brave of the author who shares it all!! Well done.

Nice one inspiring one!!!

The book conveys this message very clearly “ The illness within you can be part of your own self but never let it define you” . It may be difficult for anybody to internally process Author’s revelation of mental health condition knowing her credentials and inspirational persona .In the first part the author takes you through the journey of her personal life giving account of deeply felt intense manic episodes . Author further states how she channelled her emotional upheaval during such bouts by writing poems to raise funds for social cause and writing toast within few minutes for her aunt’s birthday . These are some of many interesting anecdotes of her life which keeps the reader hooked to the book throughout . In the second part the author is able to manage her condition through various therapies giving details of each one elaborately . Her writing become extremely meditative in last few chapters of therapies . There are many takeaways as a reader on these therapies section.This honest memoir is the story of grit and resilience to overcome something which is coming in a way of ever evolving life journey . It’s possible to productively use your mind despite dealing with parallel existence of bipolarity . This book brings light in the dark space by giving a ray of hope to people fighting engulfing mental condition .