Now&Me began its journey in July 2019 in a pursuit to make conversation about mental health more accessible and normal. The masterminds behind the endeavour were Bani Singh and Drishti Gupta, both alumnae of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University.
The World Health Organisation states that increasing evidence has been recorded about the growing impact of mental illness, wherein five out of ten leading causes of disabilities worldwide are attributed to mental health.
With a user-friendly and interactive interface, the website of Now&Me aims at creating a healthy environment and an open space for individuals to just let out their emotions. It is not an unknown fact that conversation about mental health continues to be stigmatised because of which people often find it tough to articulate their thoughts and emotions in front of others.
If it is to be explained in simpler words, we can say that Now&Me is the kind side of the internet, where people are encouraged to be themselves, without judgment.
Over 4000 personal experiences and heartfelt interactions makes the community a wholesome and sensitive one. It helps one connect, heal and come in contact with one’s own emotions along with the emotions of others.
Mental health and open conversations have often been hushed and ignored, and to say the least, not given enough importance. Due to the lack of adequate importance and investment, the whole topic has become somewhat of a taboo; which in terms makes the simple task of seeking help a herculean one.
One look at the blog can make one realise what type of space it is; a safe space with a channel for open communication and easy conversation. I would also want to pay special emphasis on the fact that the blog space also acts as a medium for people to connect with those who they relate to since the interface allows replying to each other. Yet at the same time, the trigger warning feature helps people avoid going through content that might be specifically triggering for them.
Also read: Don’t Make It Worse: Stigma & Mental Illness
Looking at the current situation, the coronavirus has forced many people back to their worst phases and places. While coronavirus might be a physical ailment, the impact of it has also led to another peril - a mental health pandemic. Anxiety and Depression have seen a huge spike.
In such times, Now&me becomes an endeavour of great importance and value because of a lot of factors. One of them is an overwhelming wave of emotions that individuals are experiencing at this time and the other being the lack of genuine communication options. I think it safe to say that the website is completely reaching out to its target audience since the number of people approaching the space is increasing by the day.
Now&Me also aims at educating its users about a variety of mental illnesses, lifestyle issues, generational problems and whatnot through a consistent flow of articles, carefully picked to serve the highest interest of the readers. It is, therefore, a very important medium of connecting in this time of uncertainty and a very important step in starting easy conversations about mental health and emotions.
Written by Mannat Dhillon Edited by Bhavya Chauhan Illustration by Annanya Chaturvedi
