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Mental health issues are more common than people think. According to the World Health Organization, nearly one in four people will experience a mental health issue at some point in their lives. However, mental health is shrouded in misconceptions that lead to stigmatization and stop people from seeking help. Rastrika Shakya from ApEx talked to three people to find out what they think about the status of mental health in Nepal.

Mohita Upreti, 22

Even in today’s society, mental health is still considered a huge taboo. This generation is competitive, and people struggle to establish their careers. There’s a misconception that this generation is lucky and has everything due to technology and other advancements but the reality couldn’t be more different. Many people are masking their true selves, hiding their struggles to avoid being perceived as weak. In my opinion, it’s okay to be yourself. You’re valuable. While the generation is competitive, success will come when the time is right. Engage in self-care and let’s try to understand ourselves better.

Chunu Shrestha, 39

A huge misconception about mental health in our society today is the idea that experiencing mental health issues equates to personal failure or weakness. This misconception can lead to individuals feeling ashamed or reluctant to seek help, fearing judgment or stigma from others. It’s crucial to understand that mental health challenges are common and can affect anyone, regardless of their strength or character. Seeking support for mental health concerns is a courageous step towards healing and should be encouraged without judgment or stigma.

Manila Manandhar, 48

A common misconception about mental health is the belief that it’s solely about ‘mind over matter’ or that individuals can simply ‘snap out of it’ if they try hard enough. This misconception ignores the complex biological and environmental factors that contribute to mental health conditions. It also minimizes the significant impact that mental health challenges can have on a person’s daily life and functioning. Understanding that mental health issues are legitimate medical conditions, often requiring professional intervention and support, is essential in combating stigma and promoting understanding and empathy in society.

At 25, I didn’t expect life to involve caring for my ill father after my mother’s passing. I wake early to prepare meals, manage medicines, and ensure his comfort before work, straining my income and personal goals. It’s not that I’m tired of caring for him, but I yearn to focus on my career too. I seek balance and reassurance that prioritizing my well-being is acceptable as I care for him. I’m ready to do everything it takes to make sure my mental state doesn’t suffer. I’m determined to navigate this path with courage and compassion, knowing that my well-being and personal growth are intertwined with my caregiving duties. But how do I start?

Answered by Kapil Sharma, counseling psychologist, Nepal Institute of Mental Health

I want to acknowledge your strength and dedication, which have contributed significantly to your father’s improvement. It’s commendable that you’re balancing caregiving responsibilities and your own needs and aspirations during this challenging time.

Your awareness of the importance of self-care and seeking reassurance indicates that you need a social support system and open communication. Speaking openly about your feelings, particularly with your father, can foster understanding and cooperation, ultimately benefiting both of you.

It’s crucial to set realistic expectations for yourself. Be gentle, and break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable ones. Establish clear boundaries between your caregiving responsibilities and personal life, perhaps by designating specific hours for caregiving and other time for your goals and needs.

Prioritizing self-care is essential. Acknowledge your efforts and strengths, practice self-care without guilt, and recognize what you gain from self-care activities rather than focusing on what you’re missing. Practicing mindfulness and journaling can also be beneficial.

If you feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to seek support from family, friends, or professional counseling. Sharing experiences with others and prioritizing your well-being are crucial. Remember, seeking help is not a sign of weakness but a step towards a stronger journey.

At 25, taking on significant responsibilities is a great achievement, but it’s okay to seek external support to balance both. You’re doing a fantastic job, but it’s essential to take care of yourself to provide effective caregiving and maintain personal strength at the same time.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries

Heather Fawcett

Fantasy

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north in this “incredibly fun journey through fae lands and dark magic”. The book marks the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series. Enchanting in every sense of the word, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a delight of snow-laden forests and changelings, folklore and faerie kings, meticulous footnotes, and academic rivalry and adventure. This book is an absolute delight. 

When Things Don’t Go Your Way

Haemin Sunim

Self-help 

Have you ever felt like life has thrown you a curveball? Are you struggling to overcome unexpected challenges and setbacks? While loss, heartbreak, and loneliness are all part of the human experience, in this warm guide, internationally bestselling author Haemin Sunim shows us that these moments can be rare opportunities for self-discovery. Drawing on Zen Buddhist philosophy and Sunim’s own experiences, When Things Don’t Go Your Way helps you navigate life’s challenges with resilience and grace.

Happiness Falls

Angie Kim

Mystery 

When a father goes missing, his family’s desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another in this thrilling page-turner, a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis from the award-winning author of Miracle Creek. This is a story with many twists and turns. It’s a brilliant, satisfying, compassionate mystery that is as much about language and storytelling as it is about a missing father.

Weekends are meant for some much-needed rest and relaxation. And what better way could there be to unwind than watch a feel-good movie while having something you’ve been craving all week. Here, we recommend our top three favorites.

Is Love Enough? Sir (2018) 

Romance | Drama

Run time: 1h 39m

Directed by Rohena Gera

Starring Tillotama Shome, Vivek Gomber

Rohena Gera’s ‘Is Love Enough? Sir’ features an uncommon love story between two different people. The independent drama follows an unlikely romance between a rich architect and a poor maid. The movie had an initial premiere at Cannes Film Festival in 2018 and was later released in theaters. It’s a slow movie that doesn’t bore you at any point. You enjoy getting to know the characters and the plot is so well crafted that you feel like you are watching something happen in real life.

Ratna, works as a maid servant for Ashwin, the wealthy son of a builder. Ratna is working hard to send her sister to college as well as nurturing dreams to become a fashion designer. Ashwin, following his broken engagement, is lost and trying to figure things out. He falls in love with Ratna—he feels there’s something that he has never felt before. His friend tries to dissuade him from pursuing the relationship and even Ratna thinks he’s just looking for physical intimacy and pushes him away. What slowly unravels is each discovering themselves as well as finding out what we look for when we seek love.

Angrezi Medium (2020)

Comedy | Drama

Run time: 2h 25m

Directed by Homi Adajania

Starring Irrfan Khan, Radhika Madan, Kareena Kapoor

Starring Irrfan Khan, ‘Angrezi Medium’ is about the lengths a father can go to for his daughter. When his daughter decides to study in London, a hardworking Rajasthani businessman does everything in power to make her dreams come true. It’s a standalone sequel to the 2017 movie, Hindi Medium. This is also Irrfan’s final movie before his death in April 2020.

Though we must admit that it’s not as good as Hindi Medium (or Irrfan’s other movies for that matter) watching the actor light up the screen, despite his medical condition and the fact that he did the movie while undergoing treatment for cancer, makes it a bittersweet moment. We couldn’t take our eyes off him. He’s done justice to his role and carried the story forward in a way no other actor could have. The writing has its weak moments but the plot makes you laugh and cry and moves you in ways only good cinema can.

Damsel (2024) 

Fantasy | Action

Run time: 1h 50m

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Nick Robinson, Angela Bassett​​​​​​​

Millie Bobby Brown is a British actress who gained recognition for playing Eleven in the Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things. She received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards. Brown has also starred in the monster film Godzilla: King of the Monsters and its sequel Godzilla vs. Kong. Her spy thriller series, Enola Holmes (Part one and two), was also hugely popular. But that’s not what we are recommending you to watch (though you must if you haven’t already).

Her latest release, Damsel, sees her set into the role of a young woman who agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to discover it was all a trap. The royal family has been cursed and they must sacrifice someone (of royal blood) to a dragon that lives down in a cave. The family first gets the prince married off and then sacrifices the bride, following a ritual to make her royalty. Elodie (Brown) is thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon and must rely solely on her wits and will to survive. It’s a fun movie to watch when you don’t want to think too much about a story and just want to kill some time during the weekend.

The government has formed a recommendation committee to appoint office bearers at the two commissions related to transitional justice.

A Cabinet meeting held in Singha Durbar on Friday formed a recommendation committee under the Chairmanship of former Chief Justice Om Prakash Sharma to make recommendations for the appointment of chairperson and members at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons.

Former Justices of the Supreme Court Jagadish Sharma Paudel, Dr Arjun Kumar Karki and Stella Tamang are the members of the committee, government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma informed.

The government has recommended President Ram Chandra Paudel to nominate Dr Anjana Shakya to the vacant post of National Assembly.

A Cabinet meeting held on Friday decided to recommend President Paudel to nominate Dr Anjana Shakya to the vacant post of National Assembly, government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said.

The government has decided to recommend President Ram Chandra Paudel to prorogue the current session of the Parliament.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said that a decision has been made to recommend the President to end the current session of the Parliament from Sunday midnight.

Earlier, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli had held a discussion on ending the Parliament session.

Ruling party leaders said that the government has decided to end the current session due to the main opposition Nepali Congress’s obstruction in the Parliament.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called upon the Nepali speakers and the people of Nepali origin residing in various countries of the world to invest the skills, knowledge and capital they have earned for Nepal.

PM Dahal made this call in a meeting with a delegation of the Association of Nepali Origin (ANO) at his official residence in Baluwatar today.

Stating that although of different nationalities, the campaign of linking all the Nepali-speaking and Nepali-origin people throughout the world is positive, he urged bringing the Nepali speakers throughout the world together through this campaign, as the mother or the fatherland is the same.

The PM said the ANO's campaign of connecting the Nepalis spread across the globe by means of language and culture is positive, pledging the necessary support on behalf of the government for the success of the campaign.

A gathering, on March 19, of Nepali speaking people from various countries around the world held in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, constituted the ANO with the goal of uniting the Nepali race and preserving the Nepali language and culture.

Thanking the ANO for running the campaign of connecting the Nepali speakers by means of art and culture, Prime Minister Dahal expressed his best wishes for a new campaign.

ANO President Dilliram Adhikari expressed gratitude to the government for the cooperation and best wishes received so far from the government, and expected the same in the days to come. "We will take ahead this campaign as the ambassador of the Nepali language, art and culture throughout the world. At the same time, the campaign will further contribute to the nation's development, preserving and publicizing the 'Nepaliness', connecting the future generation to Nepal," he asserted.

The organization will likewise encourage the Nepali investors living abroad to put investment in Nepal's education, health and other sectors and to carry out social works in the country where their ancestors' identity is linked.

The ANO delegation consisted of its vice-president Sushil Kumar Panta, general-secretary Chudamani Bhattarai among other office-bearers.

The Bangkok gathering representing the Nepali origin social campaigners from 27 countries of the world was transformed into the ANO's First Convention and a 54-member working committee was formed under Dilli Adhikari, a Nepali origin social worker born in Bhutan and currently living in the USA.