It took me losing joy in the one thing that gave me joy to realise that maybe something was wrong. I was diagnosed with chronic anxiety and depression in Nov'19 after having been living with it for months, and seeking therapy was one of the best decisions I have ever taken. In my journey with mental health, I've met crusaders, activists and warriors who are making such a difference in the mental health space. In this #PepTake, Stuti Ashok Gupta joins me to discuss mental health and why it is important. Stuti is a qualified psychotherapist who has been practicing for 5 years. She's also an entrepreneur, and is creating a community around wellness at her family business, Amrutam. This discussion throws light on some very pertinent points relevant to today's day and age, and I feel like we've just skimmed the surface. Very excited to create more on this with Stuti! The episode opens with WHY I am talking about this. My own tryst. Hop to 03:40 to hear how it started for Stuti. At 05:15, she tells us about how human response to mental health has changed over time, which brings me to my own journey with therapy and talking about it with loved ones at 06:10.  Stuti talks about her own journey with therapy at 07:16, and at 09:20, we discuss WHEN one should seek therapy. 11:38 shines light on the role of a support system in mental health and 13:00 delves into where the stigma behind this came from. We also understand how childhood behaviour and emotional environments provided during upbringing affect our behaviour as adults. At 21:15, we understand what 'Psychosomatic Symptoms' are - 'The pain is real.' 23:20 explores how talking to family and friends is different from therapy, and at 24:40, Stuti answers the question 'What can one expect from therapy?' At 27:50, there's the big one - 'HOW do I seek help?' 32:00 onwards, we talk about finding the right therapist, and then move to how we can help someone with a mental condition out at 39:00. We touch upon generational trauma at 41:00, and discuss the importance of self-awareness and its role to play in undoing said trauma. The episode concludes at 48:00 with resources one can refer to to seek help. To find a therapist, you can visit www.amrutam.co.in/findatherapist . Follow Stuti's work at www.instagram.com/stutiashokgupta . Feel free to reach out to me at www.instagram.com/peppytravelgirl and www.peppytravelgirl.com! I welcome comments, compliments, feedback! Music by Pranav Chadha.