What were the challenges I - Dr. Lavanya Seshasayee faced while I wrote my book?


''Well, all I can say is that it wasn't too easy. I had to collect my thoughts - all thoughts whizzing past my head at an amazingly high speed - they needed to be captured on the laptop before the bursts of inspiration that were emerging died down. And oh yes, there were innumerable occasions when I experienced writer's block. Also, I had to deal with my emotions that were tearing me up from within. The first seven days I cried and cried as I wrote my book but soon learned to cultivate an objective stance while I thought of all that had happened to me in the past!!! I had to learn to distance myself from myself by adopting an objective stance!!! I had a message to convey to the world and a story of critical importance to tell!! I reminded myself every now and then that I couldn't really let down the user-survivor movement, nor could I let down my clients irrespective of whatever pain I had been through during the course of my life's journey!!! I was quite surprised when I found I could carry on despite anything that might have happened to me and even joke about the same in my writing!!! I discovered parts of myself that were otherwise hidden and had to learn not to run away from myself!!! I got re-introduced to a thoroughly new 'ME' even as I wrote and wrote and wrote... about myself and the larger picture of mental health in India and across the globe. And all of a sudden the pain lifted... the sadness lifted... for I realized that what I had undergone was pure catharsis! And a new ME emerged!!! It was maddeningly empowering even as I realized I could on account of my writing, develop resilience to face and deal with anything life might throw at me!!! And at the end of it, a happy 'me' emerged even as I admitted that what I had undergone was a baptism by fire. Thank you, all my faithful readers, clients, co-workers, professionals, and loved ones - YOU WERE THE INSPIRATION THAT KEPT ME GOING!!! But first and foremost of all, it was the cosmos whom I call 'THE GREAT INFANT JESUS OF VIVEKNAGAR AND PRAGUE' that led me through the process of writing!!!
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#WritingJourney #Schizophrenia #Authors #PublishedAuthor #writerslife #MentalHealth #MentalhealthAwareness

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