Guest: Neilin Dhanji
In this episode we hear from Neilin, who is the mother of one of our earlier guests — Khayali Dhanji who had shared the depth of her own mental health journey. With Khayali’s permission, her mother Neilin shares her own take on this mental health voyage that is parallel to both of them. Neilin describes how scary it was to see her child in that much emotional pain, knowing that it was her daughter’s journey, and there is nothing that Neilin can do to fix it for her daughter. She also recognized through process of relinquishing control, knowing that the onus was on her teenager to ask for help, follow through and learn her own triggers, was a big task to take on, but one Neilin knew she had to surrender to and to date is grateful she stuck to it. Her message to listeners, particularly other parents, is that it is helpful to let your child get help, a parent may want to fix everything, however professional help is okay; if your child suffers with mental health this doesn’t mean your child is broken; if you are accepting professional help, let them do their job; support your child with unconditional love; relinquishing control actually allows you to feel more in control.
Guest Bio: Neilin Dhanji is a woman who being diagnosed with major depressive disorder as a pre-teen, she has spent most of her life battling through mental health fog. Today, after more than 25 years she is in what she calls a remission thanks to a combined approach incorporating therapy, medication and healthy lifestyle choices. Her own journey has prepared her to walk alongside her daughter – a daughter who now grapples with her own diagnosis of generalized anxiety + major depressive disorders. Neilin also has a son and is happily married to her high school sweetheart. She can often be found cooking, baking or taking an incessant amount of photos.
Passionate about: Medical Systems and Mental Health Supports & Access that exists in the community.
