A movement for the awareness of mental health was initiated by a music veteran executive in order to educate the people about mental health and debunk myths and unsupported claims about it. The movement also involves huge personalities in order to widen the scope and use their influence for the better.
Shanti Das, who is also known as the Hip Hop Professional, started a project called "Silence The Shame," a movement that would openly discuss mental health and refute stigmas and misconceptions linked to various mental illnesses. She said in an interview with Huffington Post that this is her mission to the public, especially to the people who are suffering mental illnesses.
"Education is the key to unlocking mental health," Das said. She also said that by educating the people by sharing information, they can help, transform, and save lives.
Das, who has been an important instrument in marketing some of the music's icons for 20 years like Outkast, TLC, Erykah Badu and the late Prince, also tapped some of the biggest names in the industry to "silence the shame" about mental health. OK Player has listed Nick Cannon, Usher, Ed Lover, Andra Day, Estelle and more to help Das and spread awareness about mental health.
For Das, this movement about mental health means everything as this is also something personal to her. When she was seven months old, her Indian father committed suicide, which made her scared when she was already an adult because she might follow his path of depression and anxiety. "I wouldn't say he shot himself because I was afraid of what people would say," she admitted. Das also said that she was angry at his father for leaving like that.
Das said that she didn't even want to learn about her dad's Indian culture until she visited a therapist in back in 2003. after a lot of counseling sessions, she forgave his father and understand his mental health at that time.
The movement will include a college tour called "Loving U College Tour" that would start later this year. Das would be joined by other mental health care professionals and advocates to discuss furthermore the importance of taking care of one's mind and different coping mechanisms for stress, anxiety, depression, and other disorders.
"Silence The Shame" would also feature a podcast that would have a normal discourse about managing mental health and recovering from one. "We've been conditioned to not share, but being vulnerable makes you strong."
