KOLKATA: For people struggling with depression and anxiety, informal public spaces, like cafes, that facilitate adda sessions, are increasingly being viewed as a respite from mental health woes.
In 2017, corporate trainer and inspirational speaker Souvik Biswas set up a social mental wellness initiative called Tea Talkers, a platform on which people of different ages with various mental health concerns meet at cafes across the city to discuss their problems informally. “Our objective is to make mental well-being more prevalent among people and help them shield themselves better against debilitating bouts of self-doubt. Anybody can join our sessions, however, not just those with mental health issues,” said Biswas.
Talking about the relevance of cafes as the appropriate setting, Biswas said, “I had observed that people tend to spend several hours at cafes talking about personal problems with friends without being able to find proper solutions. At the same time, due to the stigma in our society of consulting mental health professionals, many of these issues are never addressed. The upbeat casual ambience of cafes help facilitate these kind of informal sessions where strangers can feel comfortable exchanging ideas of motivation and inspiration.”
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