On today’s episode of Why This Now? by Re:Set, we delve into the brewing COVID-19 related mental health crisis in India.   To show us the bigger picture of India’s mental health landscape, the role of the government in mental health policy, and the impacts of COVID-19, we have Harvard psychiatrist, researcher and educator Dr. Vikram Patel. With her own experiences, journalist Anusha Sundar shares her story of losing her job, the strains of moving back in with your parents, and going through a pandemic with pre-existing mental health challenges. Human rights activist and lawyer Manjula Pradeep and Dalit queer activist, writer and curator Aroh Akunth show us the pandemic through the lens of the disproportionately affected marginilized communities.   Trigger warning: Please note, this episode has mentions of mental illness, suicide, and self-harm. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know needs help, please know there are resources you can reach out to. To see more of Re:Set’s work, visit resetyoureveryday.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. CREDITS: Host: Aakanksha Tangri (Twitter & Instagram) Writer: Akanksha Mishra This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer & Editor - Kartik Kulkarni Producer - Mae Mariyam Thomas Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala

Why This Now by ReSet

India’s looming COVID-19 mental health crisis

On this episode of Why This Now? by Re:Set, we bring to light the journey of raising a child with an intellectual/developmental disability.   Founder of support platforms for parents of children with special needs in Kenya and a mother of children with genetic conditions herself Christine Mutena, along with Meghnaa Surana, mother of a child with Down Syndrome and founder of a support group for the Down Syndrome community, open up about the stages of life a parent of a child with an intellectual/developmental disability goes through, from happy milestones to disheartening setbacks. And to give a macro perspective on the topic, Director of Global Development and Government Relations at Special Olympics Meghan Hussey, from her experience working in various countries, talks about the change that can take place when the fields of healthcare, education and policy come together. To see more of Re:Set’s work, visit resetyoureveryday.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. CREDITS: Host: Aakanksha Tangri (Twitter & Instagram) Writer: Akanksha Mishra This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer & Editor - Kartik Kulkarni Producer - Mae Mariyam Thomas Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala

My child has a developmental disability, now what?

On this episode of Why This Now? by Re:Set, we discover what it’s like to be the parent of a child internet personality.   Jai Catalano, who runs a family YouTube channel and Nisha Topwal, mother of influencer Anantya Anand take us on the other side of the camera to share their experiences with their children being in the public eye, dealing with criticism, and how they strike a balance in their kids’ school, online activity and social lives. We also have counselling psychologist Dr. Lavina Ahuja, who throws light on the changes in power dynamics in such families, what happens when money enters the picture, the dependency on external validation, and the effects of social media on young minds. To see more of Re:Set’s work, visit resetyoureveryday.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. CREDITS: Host: Aakanksha Tangri (Twitter & Instagram) Writer: Akanksha Mishra This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer & Editor - Kartik Kulkarni Producer - Mae Mariyam Thomas Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala

Lights, Camera, Child Influencer

Today’s episode of Why This Now? by Re:Set sheds light on the experience of living in India as a Black person. Wildlife conservationist Monica Fatogun, singer and music journalist Robert 'Bob' Omulo, model and karaoke host Princeton Ugoeze Aguocha, and President of the Nigerian Association in Bangalore and IT professional Timmy Iwoni share their stories of facing racism and discrimination in their daily lives while finding housing and jobs, being heckled on the street, or dealing with law enforcement in the country. We touch on the colonial roots of India’s obsession with fair skin, the appropriation of Black culture amongst Indians, stereotypical representation of Black people in Bollywood, and the mental health effects of it all. To see more of Re:Set’s work, visit resetyoureveryday.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. CREDITS: Host: Aakanksha Tangri (Twitter & Instagram) Writer: Akanksha Mishra This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer & Editor - Kartik Kulkarni Producer - Mae Mariyam Thomas Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala

Yes, the N-word is also a slur in India

On today’s episode of Why This Now? by Re:Set, we look at what it’s like navigating intimacy after experiencing sexual violence, and how the lingering trauma impacts survivors.  Author and survivor Sohaila Abdulali and public health professional and survivor Zahra Bhaiwala share their deeply personal stories of how trauma has manifested in their relationships, opening up about sexual assault to a potential partner and the societal pressures of victim blaming and gaslighting, while sexual violence counselor Tara Fox tells us the role of loved ones in the healing process and how sexual violence impacts survivors.  Trigger warning: Please note, this episode has mentions of sexual violence, rape, and seuxal trauma. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual violence or trauma, please know there is support you can access. You can find information and resources around sexual assault and trauma at resetyoureveryday.com. To see more of Re:Set’s work, visit resetyoureveryday.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. CREDITS: Host: Aakanksha Tangri (Twitter & Instagram) Writer: Sanjukta Bose & Akanksha Mishra This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer & Editor - Kartik Kulkarni Producer - Mae Mariyam Thomas Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala

Returning to intimacy after sexual assault

On this episode of Why This Now? by Re:Set, we dive into the world of online trolling to understand why trolls troll, the upsurge of government-backed trolling cells and how it impacts the mental health of their targets.  Prominent journalist Nidhi Razdan and writer and stand-up comic Supriya Joshi take us through their experiences getting trolled and how its affected their mental health, while psychology researcher Evita March explains the the psychological profiles of trolls and why they troll, and lawyer and digital rights advocate Apar Gupta explains why women are disproportionately targeted and the legal measures to push back. Trigger warning: Please note, a portion of this episode has mentions of suicidal thoughts. Listener discretion is advised between 13:57 & 17:07. If you or someone you know is going through the same, please know there are resources you can reach out to. To see more of Re:Set’s work, visit resetyoureveryday.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. CREDITS: Host: Aakanksha Tangri (Twitter & Instagram) Writer: Sanjukta Bose This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer & Editor - Kartik Kulkarni Producer - Mae Mariyam Thomas Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala

Inside the minds of the trolls and the trolled

Today, on Why This Now? by Re:Set, we get answers to the many questions surrounding the much-debated condition of mommy brain. Toronto-based front-end developer/digital marketer and mom Elly Pham and co-hosts of the Mommying While Muslim podcast physician Uzma Jafri & Parenting Solutions Strategist Zaiba Hasan share their own mom brain experiences and the obstacles women of colour face when it came to postpartum healthcare. Behavioral neuroscientist and therapist supporting peripartum mental health Dr. Jodi Pawluski explains the science behind mommy brain, and how your brain actually copes post birth. Trigger warning: Please note, a portion of this episode has mentions of suicidal thoughts. Listener discretion is advised between 24:37 & 27:10. If you or someone you know is going through the same, please know there are resources you can reach out to. To see more of Re:Set’s work, visit resetyoureveryday.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. CREDITS: Host: Aakanksha Tangri (Twitter & Instagram) Writer: Akanksha Mishra This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer & Editor - Kartik Kulkarni Producer - Mae Mariyam Thomas Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala

Is mommy brain real?

On today’s episode of Why This Now? by Re:Set, educators share their struggles of teaching in the pandemic. Annie Tan, a special needs educator from New York City, Shashikant Ubale, a public school teacher from Maharashtra, Sanjana Soman, a Tokyo-based Montessori school teacher, and well-being consultant Kelly Hannaghan tell us how the pandemic upended their jobs, doubling up as digital literacy and COVID-19 guides for students and parents alike, juggling burnout and its impact on their mental health, and how the pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities in digital accessibility and funding.  To see more of Re:Set’s work, visit resetyoureveryday.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. CREDITS: Host: Aakanksha Tangri (Twitter & Instagram) Writer: Sanjukta Bose & Akanksha Mishra This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer & Editor - Kartik Kulkarni Producer - Mae Mariyam Thomas Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala

Teachers vs. COVID

Today, on Why This Now? by Re:Set, we delve into how African-American women have shaped activist moments in the country, particularly Black Lives Matter. Activist and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor Aalayah Eastmond, academic, historian and author Yohuru Williams, and mental health advocate Miana Bryant unpack the role of Black women in activist movements in American history and how they’re shaping the contemporary discourse around the Black Lives Matter movement, generational trauma, the emotional labour that goes into being a Black woman activist, and their hopes from President Joe Biden’s administration.  Trigger warning: Please note, a portion of this episode has mentions of gun violence. Listener discretion is advised between 28:10 & 28:30. If you or someone you know is experiencing trauma related to gun violence, please know there are resources you can reach out to: www.teamenough.org/guns-and-suicide-prevention-resources. To see more of Re:Set’s work, visit resetyoureveryday.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. CREDITS: Host: Aakanksha Tangri (Twitter & Instagram) Writer: Sanjukta Bose & Akanksha Mishra This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer & Editor - Kartik Kulkarni Producer - Mae Mariyam Thomas Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala

The power of Black women

On this episode of Why This Now? by Re:Set, we explore navigating the highs and lows of dating through the lens of disability and chronic illness.  Strategic policy analyst Joey Chopra, stand-up comedian Sundeep Rao, filmmaker and activist Rustom Irani, and host of the podcast Uninvisible Pod Lauren Freedman open up about growing up with a disability/chronic illness, their worst dating stories and navigating internalized ableism and arranged marriages.   To see more of Re:Set’s work, visit resetyoureveryday.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. CREDITS: Host: Aakanksha Tangri (Twitter & Instagram) Writer: Sanjukta Bose This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer & Editor - Kartik Kulkarni Producer - Mae Mariyam Thomas Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala

Dating in an ableist world

Welcome to the Why This Now? podcast hosted by Aakanksha Tangri, founder of Re:Set, one of the world's only news publications dedicated to telling smart, original stories around mental health, inclusion, gender, pop culture and politics. We also focus on providing digestible and culturally-sensitive resources and a safe, inclusive space that encourages conversations on issues that matter and inspire change. This is a show that tells the untold stories, brings you unheard perspectives and answers unasked questions.

Trailer

From working at some of the world's top news organizations to starting Re:Set, her own online news publication, and being featured on 2020's Forbes Middle East 30 Under 30, Aakanksha Tangri knows the right questions to ask. On the Why This Now? podcast, she intends to shed light on topics less spoken about, and raise questions rarely asked. From chronic illnesses & dating, trolling & mental health to Black women & activism, Why This Now? brings you multilayered perspectives on issues, told through the powerful and personal experiences of diverse groups of people along with valuable insights from experts on the subject. About Re:Set: Re:Set is one of the world's only news publications dedicated to telling smart, original stories around mental health, inclusion, gender, pop culture and politics. We also focus on providing digestible and culturally-sensitive resources and a safe, inclusive space that encourages conversations on issues that matter and inspire change.

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Why This Now by ReSet

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