Dhaka Flow: When influencers address mental health issues
"Shrink" is the informal noun to describe a psychotherapist. The word gained popularity from the fact that talking about your problems with her/him can hopefully help you reduce the difficulties or make them smaller and more manageable.
In sitcoms or movies, the idea of going to a shrink somehow trivialises the person seeking therapy and portrays the therapist as greedy who counts money and keeps the time only!
The harsh reality is that there are loads of commoners like us who are in real need of a therapist's couch. Such portrayals put wrong ideas about the importance of mental health and seeking psychotherapy. As it is, going to a psychiatrist or a counsellor is taboo in our society, but I think it is high time we put aside our prejudices and face the truth.
Dhaka Flow, a leading organisation committed to promoting holistic well-being, is hosting a wellness retreat, that will be a supportive space for selected 20 youth influencers and change-makers to engage in discussions, share their personal experiences, and collectively explore strategies such as yoga, and meditation, breathwork, journaling, and therapy to tackle mental health challenges.
By bringing these influential voices together, Dhaka Flow aims to create space for conversations around mental well-being within the youth community.
The fact that seeking help to discuss ways to tackle grief, trauma, or even to clear out your mind, is no longer a stigma or a taboo. It is okay to seek help, everybody needs mental well-being or support -- even your favourite celebrities on screen. The addition of the youth influencers will create a ripple effect, influencing positive change within the broader community.
"Social media influencers will have the ability to access 20 million and counting youths following their handles. It will have a greater reach and impact positively the youths of our society," says Shazia Omar, co-founder of Dhaka Flow.
"Transformation starts in the mind before it happens in the body," this deep realisation is of 27-year-old Rawan Ahmed Choudhury, a fitness and wellness campaigner and one of the influencers taking part in the retreat.
"The mind and the body are deeply interconnected and that is why mental health is critically important to our well-being. In life, I believe you have two options. Staying average, or striving every single day to become the finest version of yourself. You will be required to constantly improve yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually even if it is by 1 percent every day and by doing so, you can find your purpose in life," he says.
"The event Dhaka Flow's 'Warrior Within: Wellness for All', is slated to take place from January 29-30 at the Seagull Resort and Spa Village, Tangail, and aims to bring together 20 influential youth leaders for an open dialogue on mental wellbeing, breaking the silence around issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, grief, and addiction that silently plague the city's young population," said Shazia.
Some of the influencers participating include singers Armeen Musa and Wahida Hussain, fitness experts, Rawan Choudhury and Nishat Khan, content creators, Takvlog, Maliha, Rakin Absar and SameerScene, and former Mrs. World Bangladesh, Abony Munjerin.
"One important component of self-care is community services," says Ambreen Miraly, co-founder of Dhaka Flow. "That is why we have integrated a component of giving in the form of a fundraising drive for Thrive, a school feeding programme. We are encouraging youths to contribute Tk 5000 this year to buy 100 meals for underprivileged children in our community."
Dhaka needs to recognise the urgency of addressing and prioritising mental health issues, especially among its youth. Talking about seeking help is taking the proactive step to foster a community that is mindful of its people.
Comments