As per WHO, as of today, India is the most depressed country in the world. At any given point of time, nearly 50 million Indian children suffer from mental disorders, and this number will increase if the adolescent population is considered as well. The impact of mental illness is far beyond the imagination of society, in which the awareness about the severity of these diseases is the least. India has one of the highest suicide rates among those aged 15 to 29 and accounts for over a third of global suicides among women each year.

Despite such scary figures, Indian parents either worry about 'Log kya kahenge?' and suppress the need for psychological care. Others believe that depression and anxiety are an influence of 'western culture' and don't accept mental illness as a health concern and confirm to social stigma around it.

Kushank Negi and Akshara Bharat shared their stories of battling with their disorders in an environment where parents didn't understand mental illness. Listen to the podcast now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices