Welcome to part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Rashi Agarwal. In this interview, Dr. Rashi Agarwal delves into the complexity and intricacies of psychiatry as well as other facets of her life.
Dr. Anjali Singh: Being surrounded by this every day can be exhausting and detrimental to your mental health. So, what do you do to keep your mental health in check?
Dr. Rashi Agarwal: There are days that are fulfilling and rewarding, as I already stated. The satisfying moments more than make up for the trying ones, such as when one's patient recovers and leaves for good. The days that motivate me are the ones when I receive encouraging comments on my Instagram videos from viewers who thank me for raising awareness and assisting them in realizing their own problems. It is greater than I could have ever imagined, even if all I am doing is changing one life every day.
Aside from that, I make an effort to surround myself with friends and family on a more intimate level. I am a very strong believer in family, so being away from them for an extended period of time is difficult for me. By God's grace, I have a family and a few friends who are steadfastly convinced that I will do something far greater than this and who have helped me navigate both my personal and professional lives, both online and offline.
Dr. Anjali Singh: Not only your friends, but even we believe in you, and we know that you will succeed since you are making such a wonderful impact on society. So, ma'am, how did you get into it given that you are also an online mental health instructor and counselor?
Dr. Rashi Agarwal: Before COVID, when I was practicing offline and before social media and reels were common, I noticed that patients had a lot of the same questions to ask. While these doubts and inquiries may seem very general and basic to me, if we look at them from the perspective of a common person, someone who isn't associated with the healthcare sector, we realize that people are still unaware of the basics of it all. As a result, I tried to start from scratch; if you look back at some of my older Instagram reels, I explain the fundamentals of mental health and related concerns. And it really hit a chord with people, particularly in these trying times when stress was brought on by everything. There were a lot of questions and queries, but there weren't enough solutions, which is what led me to decide to become a social media counselor and educator. Being the expressive person that I am, a trained classical dancer, and a performer at heart, this outlet allowed me to combine my two personalities—those of a doctor and a performer—into one. Being a social media educator allows me to express my personality and who I am as a person, which satisfies my drive to perform while also raising awareness online.
Dr. Anjali Singh: What are your interests and hobbies outside of your personal life?
Dr. Rashi Agarwal: I started gardening as a hobby during COVID, just like many other people, and I've been doing it ever since, even if only for 10 to 15 minutes a day. It is quite soothing, and the fact that I practice what I preach, which is that getting 15 to 30 minutes of exercise a day and getting enough sleep will turn out to be your best friends in the long run.
Dr. Anjali Singh: As you try to raise awareness both offline and online, you are doing a lot of good work, but there are always individuals who will try to bring someone down while they are doing good. How do you respond to hate speech or unfavorable remarks on social media, given that you've already mentioned how expressive and opinionated you are?
Dr. Rashi Agarwal: I think a lot of things come with experience, maturity, and age. I won't claim it doesn't bother me at all because that would be a lie because, yeah, it bothers me occasionally because people, especially online, can be quite insulting and vicious. But the amount of hatred people carry around for no good reason mostly irritates and disgusts me. Especially when it comes to sensitive topics like feminism and LGBTQ+1, both of which I strongly support. But being an outspoken person comes with its drawbacks, and I won't give up my voice or my opinions for anything in the world. In the past, I was also guilty of removing or hiding those derogatory and nasty remarks, but these days I believe that if the trolls aren't afraid to disseminate such hate, then neither should I. So, it's really plain and simple with me: if you're going to come and cuss or spread negativity, then you're going to get called out for it.
And it's the same offline as well; I'm trying to be more assertive and set stronger boundaries, but at the same time, I try not to be as opinionated as I am online, and I'll give a reason for the same because not everyone has the same level of emotional or social maturity as I do. Everyone has not had the same opportunities or access to things in life as I have; therefore, it's like barking at brick walls. There have been moments when I have attempted to express my perspective in settings that weren't as warm and receptive to discussions about emotional maturity as I was. So sure, rather than just responding to things, I have started to step back recently to observe and consider why individuals behave as they do. Lately, LinkedIn has become my safe space to let my inner thoughts out without any judgement or criticism, and I have started penning down all my observations and thoughts on my LinkedIn posts.
Dr. Anjali Singh: I totally agree with you on this one. Instead of just reacting to anything and everything without thinking, maturity means knowing when and how to take action. Ma'am, if you could tell us your vision, what and how do you see yourself five years down the line?
Dr. Rashi Agarwal: I haven't planned this far ahead, but in the next six to twelve months, I hope to have something more substantial than just a social media handle. It is not practical to conduct a one-man show for the wider audience I am aiming for; therefore, I am looking forward to hiring people and building a team to distribute the workload, which keeps on growing with each passing day. I intend to hire and train clinical psychologists and therapists for the position, which would entail a holistic approach to patient care and health. And offline as well, I am planning to hire a team of professionals to share my workload with. So, in the grand scheme of things, I truly want to connect my name to the awareness of mental health. Treatment is one component of the field, so yes, treatment, but awareness will always be my main area of interest because awareness introduces prevention, which further encourages people to go and get the necessary aid.
Dr. Anjali Singh: Truly said! Sensitizing people to awareness and prevention would encourage them to seek the necessary support and care. What is your message or advice for budding doctors and allied healthcare professionals, ma'am?
Dr. Rashi Agarwal: Now that you have entered the medical profession, it is going to be a tough and long journey moving forward, and you have to be patient with it. No matter how privileged you are or how much money, marketing, or advertisement you pour into it, things are not going to happen overnight; they are going to take time, and you must learn to be patient throughout the process. Put in those extra hours, complete those extra years of training at the grass-roots level with in-person supervision, go above and beyond, put in as much hard work as you can, and eventually fall in love with your craft. Although working in this sector is like taking a tortoise-paced stroll, it is all worthwhile when you see the gratitude on your patients' faces.
Dr. Anjali Singh: That's really an inspiring message ma'am. Now moving on to a fun question: if your life were a movie, what would you name it?
Dr. Rashi Agarwal: I feel as though the song "Yeh chori badi drama queen hai" was composed specifically for me because it resonates with me deeply. Therefore, this would undoubtedly be the name of my film.
Dr. Anjali Singh: Haha! That's really a fun and quirky title. If I may ask, what do you hate most?
Dr. Rashi Agarwal: I don't just have a mental but also a physical aversion to injustice and inequality.
Dr. Anjali Singh: I am in the same boat as you when it comes to these topics, and I too have a very strong opinion on these things. Ma'am, have you ever wondered what you would be doing if you were not a psychiatrist by profession?
Dr. Rashi Agarwal: If I hadn't chosen to become a psychiatrist, my first option in the medical field would have been dermatology. I have completed my training in classical dance, and I love to dance, so if I weren't in the medical sector, I would have become a dancer. I also had a lot of other things planned, including becoming a swimmer instead of a dancer. It's strange how life turns out to be, and I am trying to embrace all aspects of my life.
Dr. Anjali Singh: Although I have trained in Bharatnatyam for seven years, I can't say the same about swimming, but it's on my to-do list, so it seems like we are more alike than different, haha. The final question of the day is: Is there a message you would like to convey to society?
Dr. Rashi Agarwal: Half of the issue will be resolved the day we begin to treat mental health with the same respect as physical health. It takes time for a treatment to take effect since, by the time a patient sees a psychiatrist, a lot of time has already passed, and numerous indigenous traditions and alternative therapy approaches have been tried and tested. Since it is not a 7-day course but a complete treatment, it will take time for the treatment to take effect. I always establish a very realistic objective for my patients and dispel any delusions they may have. Our goal is to reduce that time lapse, and the first point of contact for any mental health-related issues or concerns should be a mental health expert in order to ensure an uncompromised quality of life. People have come to me and said that they wish they had sought the right therapy sooner since the lapse has cost them their careers, relationships, and marriages. We want to raise awareness about the fact that this is the first stop and that asking for assistance is not shameful since all of this and so much more can be prevented. They need to know that things will only get better from this point on in their lives.
Our goal is to reduce the time lapse in seeking treatment, and the first point of contact for any mental health-related issues or concerns should be a mental health expert in order to ensure an uncompromised quality of life.
Dr. Rashi Agarwal, MBBS, MD (Psychiatry)
