NEERJA BIRLA’S MPOWER LAUNCHES #EVERYDAYHEROES CAMPAIGN

NEERJA BIRLA’S MPOWER LAUNCHES #EVERYDAYHEROES CAMPAIGN 

HRITHIK ROSHAN TO PROMOTE AWARENESS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS

Launched in Mumbai, the campaign celebrates everyday heroes who have bravely fought their mental health disorders 

by Shrutee K/DNS

Mumbai, 17^th October 2016: Mpower, the mental healthcare organisation launched earlier this year by Neerja and Ananya Birla, unveiled a new campaign #EverydayHeroes with Hrithik Roshan today at Tote, Mumbai. The campaign celebrates and encourages common people who have overcome their mental health problems. The campaign featuring Hrithik Roshan celebrates real life people who have bravely spoken up, overcome prejudices and biases against mental illnesses and sought help.

The event also saw the announcement of weekly Facebook Live sessions with MPower experts for those who would like to have their questions answered by professionals working in the field of mental health. MPower also announced its commitment to spreading awareness and helping to change attitudes towards mental health. To do this it will engage with various stakeholders, kicking off with a school and college outreach program for children and young people.

 Mpower was launched earlier this year to work towards empowering individuals with mental health issues, especially the young, by creating awareness and also providing all-rounded services. Mpower aims to get rid of the stigma, and misconceptions associated with mental health disorders through various awareness building initiatives and by acknowledging those who have successfully overcome their problems through the #EverydayHeroes campaign. The key objective of the campaign is to encourage those facing mental health problems and their family and friends to speak up and ask for help as that is the key to finding the road to recovery.

 Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Neerja Birla, Co-Founder & Chairperson, Mpower said, “In our country, there is a huge stigma attached to people suffering from mental illnesses. One-tenth of our youth and children suffer from mental health disorders in silence out of shame and fear. We want to change this attitude and mindset- studies have shown that there is marked improvement if people undertake the right therapies and treatment, in children the earlier the better! Seeking help should not be challenging and should not be a source of shame. Anyone’s who chooses to speak up about the challenges they faced dealing with their mental health concerns, can inspire and be that example that leads the way. This is we launched #EverydayHeroes- to recognise people who deal with adversity daily, as they look to overcome and work towards mental-wellness. We feel very honoured to have Hrithik Roshan on this campaign and are grateful to him for his constant support in our endeavour. “

Adding on, Hrithik Roshan said, “I believe the key thing in addressing mental health illness is stamping out the stigma associated with it. A mental health issue can happen to anyone, including you and me. We need to come together to help people embrace this problem. I salute Mrs Neerja Birla and her entire team at Mpower for their relentless efforts in this direction. I am so proud to contribute my bit through ‘Mpower's campaign 'Everyday Heroes’, which I believe is my most purposeful film till date".

The MPower Movement works to improve awareness and understanding of mental health conditions. From a broader call to action through events like Ride to MPower, MPower is also undertaking targeted outreach through workshops at schools, colleges and corporates. MPower Centre offers diagnostics, treatment and counselling for children and young adults for mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and substance use. We also offer guidance for school related issues such as learning disabilities, behavioural issues and neuro-developmental concerns such as autism spectrum disorders.

Watch it here - https://youtu.be/8g8529SctYw