The Mental Peace Clinic provides a variety of mental health services for people living in the slums of northern India.
Why did we start this clinic?
One of the most common stories we hear among our patients is about family members who are suffering silently from depression, anxiety, and other mental health illnesses. Though mental health illnesses are very common in India, very few people seek help due to stigma about mental health . They suffer alone in the shadows. By starting the Mental Peace Clinic, we hope to raise awareness about the importance of mental health. We want everyone to know that disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are common and can be treated. With your help we can let people know that it is okay to ask for help.
This is Sagar. He is one of our first patients. He said he has often does not have the energy to get out bed and has no appetite. Our clinician counseled him on depression.
Meet Amrita. Since her husband passed away 2 years ago, she gets sudden outbursts of anger. She wanted to learn more about mourning and depression.
Meet Nannar. He's learning about his mental diagnosis and seeking treatment for PTSD. Several years ago Nannar was robbed and beaten.
What services are provided?
We have partnered with local psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health activists to provide drop in hours at a local convalescent home and in slums for people seeking help or wanting to learn more about mental health. Our licensed medical professionals provide free counseling and therapy to our patients and teach coping strategies. While being located on the first floor of a convalescent home, the Mental Peace Clinic also takes place in a different slum one week each month. By holding the clinic in the slums, we hope to increase exposure to mental health services. The clinic is open from 8:00AM to 5:00PM Monday through Thursday of each week.
Rita is 68 years old. For years she says she has been getting panic attacks but never told anyone. One of our clinicians is now teaching her how to cope with anxiety.
This is Mohinder. One of our clinicians diagnosed him with depression. He has been attending weekly therapy session arranged for by our staff.
This is Indu and she wanted to learn more about mental health. She did not know that disorders like depression can be treated.
How can you help?
The Mental Health Peace clinic is one of our most-cost effective projects. Our clinicians are volunteers. However, we do provide medication for certain patients depending on our clinicians' recommendations. These medications can be expensive, especially if the patient requires treatment for an extended period of time. Other donations go toward creating and printing flyers and holding community gatherings where we provide food and inform people about our clinic and its goal to help people cope with their mental illnesses. We are a federally registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible. Our Tax ID number is 47-2442871.
Our Patients
Meet Om. He has been suffering from anxiety for many years. He said that his anxiety prevented him from doing well in school and getting the job he wanted.
This is Lila. She recently gave birth to twins and has been having trouble sleeping and frequent mood swings. She also feels she cannot share her feelings with her family because they will judge her. Our counselors provide a safe environment for her talk.
This is Gita. She is worried about her son's lack of energy. We encouraged her to bring her son to one of our clinics.
Saral is 51 years old. He says he is drinking too much but does not know how to stop. He heard of our clinic through a friend. We are providing him with substance abuse counseling and have arranged a sponsor that is available 24/7 for him.
Seka is 76 years old. He says he has trouble remembering names of friends and days of the week. Our counselors suspect he has dementia and have begun showing him exercises he can do to improve his memory. We are also teaching him strategies to cope with his memory loss.
Pranav is 48 years old. He says he recently was fired from his job for showing up to work drunk. He says that once he has one beer, he has to have several more. We have started him on a substance abuse program and have arranged a sponsor for him who is available 24/7.
Mukesh is 28 years old and suffers from social anxiety. He says that he has trouble making friends. We are teaching him coping strategies and how to engage with others without being overwhelmed.
Esha is 57 years old and wanted to learn more about mental illness and how to identify it.
Meet Rohana. She is anxious because she is pregnant with her first child. We taught her coping strategies and gave her resources to a nearby clinic where she could receive proper prenatal care.
This is Bahadur. His wife brought him because she is concerned about his drinking habit. He did not know feel he has a problem. We encouraged him to come back if he should have any questions or would like to speak with someone privately.
Sameer is 41 years old. He told us that he wanted to learn more about depression.
Manvir has participated in our other health camps. He is worried about his grandson, who gets very anxious. "He gets so anxious that he cannot even move," Manvir tells us.
This is Kripal. He is 64 years old. He wants to learn more about mental health.
Meet Lokranjan. He is 29 years old. He suffers overwhelming anxiety. He tells us that he gets daily panic attacks, during which he feels he is going to suffocate.
This is Sameer. His brother died one year ago from untreated tuberculosis. He says that he has had many emotional outbursts since then. He wants grief counseling.
Meet Kuberchand. His father was very abusive. He tells us that he made sure to never harm his children as a result. However, he says that his grandson is abusive to his own children. Kuberchand is worried about his grandson and and great grandchildren. We will speak with the family.
This is Brajesh. He suffers from insomnia and wants to speak with a psychologist to get help.
This is Arjun. He lives with his wife, two children, and parents. He wants to learn more about mental health, so that his children will know how to cope with stress and anxiety.
Meet Darsh. He is 32 years old. He was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder.
Meet Kaamla. She is 28 years old. Her father passed away from untreated tuberculosis. She tells us she misses him and that she feels depressed.
This is Nimita. She is 61 years old. She tells us she has trouble recalling memories. We believe she has dementia and will follow up with her.
Meet Rosy. She is worried about her husband. She tells us he drinks often.
Meet Ghandeep. He is 26 years old. He tells us that he feels alone and wants to talk to someone.
Meet Devguru. He is 43 years old. He tells us that he has suffered from depression his entire life. He tells us he finds connecting with people very difficult.
Meet Chetu. She tells us she has been depressed lately because of the pain in her back. "How would you feel if you couldn't get out of bed and laid there all day," she told us.
Meet Iiash. He is 29 years old. He suffers from alcoholism.
Meet Deb. He is 17 years old. He tells us he feels alone and cannot talk to anyone.
Meet Sazia. She is 35 years old. She tells us that she feels depressed.
Meet Dalbir. He suffers from chronic drug abuse.
Meet Riya. She did not know that anxiety was a treatable disorder. She learned more about anxiety at a clinic we held in her slum.
This is Nanda. He says his depression prevents him from seeing his friends, eating properly, and leaving his home. We started him on mild anti-depressants and have been counseling him regularly.
Meet Anila. She is worried about her outbursts of anger. She says that small things make her angry, and she cannot control her emotions. Our counselors are exploring the things that make her angry and teaching her strategies and techniques for managing her emotions.
Ajit suffers from depression. He says that he has thoughts of hurting himself but does not. We started him on mild anti-depressants and are teaching him ways to manage his thoughts and feelings.
This is Kiri. She says her sister is depressed, and she is frustrated with her parents because they refuse to accept it. We checked in with her feelings and encouraged her to come for regular therapy sessions.
Maya is 59 years old and wanted to know how to tell if she is depressed. We encouraged her to not think of herself as "depressed" or "not depressed" but share her feelings with us. Maya visits our clinic every 2 weeks.
This is Chanda. She is nervous because her grandson is planning to leave India and move to Canada. We spoke with her about why she is nervous and taught her coping techniques.
Meet Chintan. He says that he hears voices that tell him to do dangerous things. He told us that one of the voices was telling him to jump in front of a train. We are providing him with medication and counseling for schizophrenia.
This is Raajaa. He is 31 years old and suffers from alcohol addiction. He wants to be sober, he tells us.
Phani is 60 years old. He is worried about his son, who drinks very heavily. Phani tells us that he does not see his son for days at a time because his son is always drinking. We encouraged Phani to bring his son to us, so that we could speak with him directly.
This is Bimal. He suffers from alcohol addiction. He wants to learn more about how to get sober and why he drinks so much.
Meet Chitesh, a 48 year old male. He wants to learn more about mental illness. He says his wife often cries, and he is worried about her.
This is Dharmaveer. He is 19 years old. He says that he gets angry very easily and often gets into street fights with others. He wants to learn more about why he gets upset so easily.
Aarav is 29 years old. He tells us that he gets very stressed about work and providing for his family. He wants to learn more about managing his stress.
Meet Kabir. He is 33 years old and suffers from alcohol abuse.
This is Ritvik. He is 62 years old. He wanted more learn more about mental health.
Meet Bela. She wanted to learn more about mental health. She tells us she is worried about her brother. She tells us he is very depressed.
Meet Eshan. He is 39 years old and suffers from substance abuse. He tells us he is tired of his addiction.
This is Ida. She is 36 years old. She tells us that she feels she has no one to talk to.
Meet Jagan. He is 27 years old. He witnessed a motor vehicle accident involving a pedestrian and a truck. He tells us that he cannot stop thinking about it.
This is Edi. He is 24 years old. He wants to learn more about substance abuse and how to overcome it.
Meet Lal. He is 16 years old. He wants to learn more about mental health.
Meet Jai. He tells us that he feels depressed and has thoughts of hurting himself.
This is Shruti. She is 26 years old. To her right, is her daughter. She tells us she gets panic attacks. She also worries about her husband, who has started drinking daily.
Meet Anil. He is 41 years old and suffers from alcohol abuse. He tells us his father and grandfather both drank heavily. He also tells us his brother died from liver failure, caused by drinking.
Meet Padma. She is 32 years old. She tells us that she suffers from depression.
This is Sachin. His nephew suffers from mental retardation. He says his brother and sister-in-law refuse to accept that their son is different. We encouraged him to bring them so we could counsel all of them about mental retardation and how they can help their son.
This is Kala. She is worried about her son who has been smoking marijuana recently. We encouraged her to find out why he has started smoking and to bring him to one of our clinics.
Meet Mukul. He says that he hears voices even though no one is there. Recently, the voices have been getting louder. He cannot work and cannot tell his family because they will kick him out of the house. We have started him on anti-psychotic medication and arranged for weekly therapy sessions.
This is Deepali. She says her husband is not expressive enough and that she worries about their relationship. We encouraged her to bring him to our clinic so we could speak with both of them.
This is Harinder. He is 69 years old and has been suffering from mood swings for the majority of his life. He says that his mood swings have prevented him from marrying and starting a family. He sees one of our counselors for bi-weekly sessions.
Meet Jay. He wanted to learn more about anxiety disorders and how they can be treated.
Meet Lal. He tells us that he has been feeling very "heavy" lately. He says that sometimes he wants to stay in bed all day because of how heavy he feels. We spoke with him about depression and arranged for him to see one of our psychologists.
This Murad. He had never heard of mental illness. He wanted to learn more about it.
This is Tarik. He tells us that he sometimes thinks of killing himself. We are providing him with counseling and cognitive behavior therapy.
This is Jayendar. He is 27 years old.
Meet Eknath, a 44 year old male who has lived in the same slum his entire life. Since his wife passed away from cancer, he has been feeling very guilty. He wants to stop feeling so guilty.
This is Kuldev. He is 26 years old. His favorite past time is watching cricket.
Meet Dayakar. His brother died a few months ago from a traffic accident. He tells us that he cannot sleep. He says that he cannot focus on work. He wants to learn more about grief counseling.
Meet Muhammad. He is 40 years old and suffers from depression. He tells us that he often thinks of hurting himself.
This is Reyansh. He is 36 years old. His body hurts a lot, and he was referred to our mental health camp.
This is Saanvi. She is 41 years old. She tells us that she frequently bursts into tears. She says that she does not know why she feels so sad.
This is Davita. She is 39 years old. She is worried about her son. She tells us he gets panic attacks. He has trouble breathing and cries during these attacks.
This is Rani. She is 41 years old. She tells us that she feels hopeless but wants to feel happier.
Meet Priva. She is 40 years old.
Meet Dev. He is 24 years old. He wants to learn more about mental health.
Meet Nafia. She has a twin sister. She tells us that she has been depressed for many years due to the pain in her joints. She has rheumatoid arthritis.
Meet Aidan. He is 26 years old. He suffers from anxiety. He tells us he gets so anxious that he starts crying.
This is Bahira. She wants to learn more about mental health.
This is Netra. She is 24 years old. She tells us she feels very listless and has trouble getting out of the bed in the morning. She says she often finds herself retreating from others.
Meet Seena. She is holding her son. She wants to learn about mental health. "I want my son to grow up happy, and I also want him to be mentally strong," she tells us.
Meet Ovia. She tells us her husband suffers from alcohol abuse and that she feels depressed.