KATTI PATANG

Hi, I’m back after God knows how many years. I don’t know if I have any people I know left on here or if anyone will ever read this but I didn’t quite know where else to turn.

I made my first tumblr blog in 2010 after graduating high school. I had no friends then and I went through a traumatic incident of abuse in my household. I felt the dread knowing that if anything happened to me… if the abuser in my family did anything to me… no one was going to know because no one was going to check in on me.

After that I almost made it my life’s mission to meet and gather a beautiful chosen family of amazing friends. However, more than a decade later as I look at my impending 30th birthday drawing closer and closer, I feel myself feeling that exact same feeling of dread that 18 year old me did.

I have friends, don’t get me wrong, but we’ve come to that part in adulthood where I guess friendships get placed on the back burner. Some friends are busy, others are going through tough time, and some are unwell. I don’t hate my friends for not making me a priority but I would be lying if I said it didn’t sting.

I really don’t know where I’m going with this. But all I know is that I haven’t seen my friends in months. They don’t check in on me. I have to initiate contact with them. I don’t have a significant other. I have family but I feel they soon will abandon me for other reasons that I can’t talk about. Know one checks to see who I am. And that scares me.

The lady who lived in the house where we live right now died in her sleep and it took three full days before anyone knew she was gone. That’s my worst fear and I feel like that’s the future that awaits me.

So anyway, like 2010 me turned to this website to get a load off my chest, I thought 2022 me would feel better doing the same. Thanks for listening of you made it this far. May you be blessed. ❤️

This is so important. Big up to KayRay and Ms Mutta for bringing light to this.

I can relate to this so much.

“'Haneri' is a short film that explores mental health within a Punjabi-Canadian family. As we know, there is still a great deal of stigma associated with mental health and speaking about it out loud is never easy. In this story, Ruby’s family attempts to navigate and make sense of their daughter's struggle with depression, despite their limited understanding of this illness.”

To all my Sikh brothers and sisters who feel shamed and misunderstood due to depression, anxiety, etc., you are not alone. 

There are many of us we have your back. :) If anyone tells you that you being depressed is contrary to Sikhi’s ideal of chardi kala (perpetual optimism), they could not be wronger. Speaking from personal experience, the fact that we have the strength to strive and work through what we are going through is a testament of chardi kala that NO ONE can match.

There needs to be greater education on mental health than there is right now in the Sikh community.

Always remember that you are not alone. If you need to talk, please don’t hesitate to message me. :)