Episode 1: A memoir of moods and madness
Hello and welcome to episode 1 of our podcast, “An examined life”.
I am Richa Sharma. I am a mental health professional and the founder of a social enterprise called, “The Dialectical Mind”.
In this series, we speak to experts on life, resilience and mental health. We shed light on issues that more often than not, weigh heavily upon us, our thoughts and feelings… And yet, somehow, we find ourselves shying away from speaking freely about them.
In this episode, we have with us, Dr. Shwetank Bansal, who is a Consultant Psychiatrist & Psychotherapist at BLK Super Speciality Hospital and at Better Me Healthcare, New Delhi. After completing MBBS from University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), New Delhi, he pursued MD in Psychiatry from the prestigious Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (Delhi University), which is one of the premier neuroscience institutes in the country. Thereafter, he underwent training as a Post-Doctoral Observer at the University of Michigan, USA. He has a special interest in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and has trained in it from the esteemed Beck Institute for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Pennsylvania, USA. He has been trained in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, one of the latest modes of treatment in Psychiatry and Neurology, at Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. He has also made numerous contributions to national and international research journals.
An active member of the American Psychiatric Association and European Psychiatric Association, Dr. Bansal believes that preventive mental health is the road to future, and is routinely cited in media on issues of positive psychology and mental health. He has made numerous special appearances on national television and news shows for furthering the cause of psychological health. We are excited to have him with us!
In this episode, we read and build our discussion around excerpts from the book, “An unquiet mind: A memoir of moods and madness” by Kay Redfield Jamison.
Talking a bit about the author, Kay Redfield Jamison is an American clinical psychologist and writer. Her work has centred on bipolar disorder, a condition which she has had since her early adulthood. She holds the post of the Dalio Professor in Mood Disorders and Psychiatry at John Hopkins University, School of Medicine. Some of her other famous books include, “Touched with fire”, “Night falls fast” “Nothing was the same” among others. We chose this particular book because it speaks volumes about her lived experience with bipolar disorder and is very brave and candid in its description.