Mental health: Minu Budhia felicitated by St Xavier’s College for exemplary work

Kolkata: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Minu Budhia was felicitated by St Xavier’s College for her exemplary work in mental health. The Citation and the Award was given by Principal, Rev, Father, Dominic Savio.

Budhia shared her personal struggles and triumphs of her life as mother to Prachi, her younger daughter diagnosed with ADHD, low IQ and Bipolar Disorder. Describing the shattering moment when her meticulously ordered world crumbled, Budhia recalled: “Seeing my happy home disintegrate in an instant, I cannot put into words what I felt.” Despite overwhelming despair and battling suicidal thoughts, she embarked on a relentless quest for solutions — travelling the globe from Bangalore to Philadelphia to Dubai — to secure the best care for her daughter. Today, that journey stands as a testament to the hard-fought journey toward acceptance, as Budhia affirmed: “She is a child of God — a blessing, not a burden.”

In an equally stirring narrative of professional reinvention, Budhia recounted her evolution from a mother battling inner demons to an acclaimed mental health expert, speaker, and author. Determined not to merely exist but truly live, she returned to the classroom, pursued extensive studies in mental health and counselling and eventually laid the foundation for Carring Minds International (Institute of Mental Health & OPD Clinic).