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Chemical Khichdi: How I Hack My Mental Health
Aparna Piramal Raje's life looks successful. Hailing from a well-known business family, she is married, has two children, is a published author, a popular columnist with a leading daily and was the CEO of a leading furniture company. However, only a few close friends and family members were aware that she struggled with a serious mental illness--bipolar disorder--for two decades. Also known as manic depression, bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme shifts in moods and energy levels, leading to euphoric highs and damaging lows.
Now, Aparna wants to tell the story of how she learnt to come to terms with her condition. Part memoir, part reportage and part self-help guide, Chemical Khichdi seeks to remove some of the stigma associated with a serious mental illness in an empathetic, accessible and candid way. Its 'seven therapies' present a hopeful and helpful pathway for all those with a mental health condition, their loved ones and their mental health practitioners, with the message that they can live with a vulnerability and thrive.
Now, Aparna wants to tell the story of how she learnt to come to terms with her condition. Part memoir, part reportage and part self-help guide, Chemical Khichdi seeks to remove some of the stigma associated with a serious mental illness in an empathetic, accessible and candid way. Its 'seven therapies' present a hopeful and helpful pathway for all those with a mental health condition, their loved ones and their mental health practitioners, with the message that they can live with a vulnerability and thrive.
- GenresNonfictionMental Health
288 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2022
33 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
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September 25, 2022Listening to Aparna Piramal's interview on the radio right now and this feels like something I need to read, grasp and absorb.
July 31, 2022
"But I find myself still feeling down and that down stems from one source -- to which I still haven't found an answer, after so many years of writing this journal: purpose."
BOOK: CHEMICAL KIHITCHDI : How I hacked my mental health
AUTHOR: @aparnapiramalraje
GENRE: #selfhelp
PUBLISHER: @penguinindia
RATING: 4.3
"Chemical Khitchdi" this title is very catchy, one reason I purchased this book. I'm giving this book a 4.3 rating because of the courage it took for the author to come out in the world and explain it to others and let them know there are many mental health issues that anyone among us can go through and we might not even know. The author had the best financial conditions and then also all her family felt helpless for years how about people who are not financially that sound? Mental health issues are not easy to detect because we all do not ivolve with a person deeply, we have many shallow Hi and Bye just to be cordial and diplomatic to survive in this world.
Biploarity involves an extreme shift in mood and energy levels due to certain triggers that cause chemical reactions in the brain.
STAY AWARE & DON'T HESITATE TO SEEK HELP 🤝
#chemicalkhitchdi
#howihackedmymentalhealth
#selfhelpbook
#aparnapiramalraje
#bipolarity
#bipolardisorder
#mustread
#awareness
#mentalhealth
#importanceofmentalhealth
#guidance
#seekhelp
#bookstagrampost
#bookstagrammer
#booklover
#bookstagram
#morebooks
#reader
#reviewer
#readerssnapshot
#july
#julytbr
#goodreads
BOOK: CHEMICAL KIHITCHDI : How I hacked my mental health
AUTHOR: @aparnapiramalraje
GENRE: #selfhelp
PUBLISHER: @penguinindia
RATING: 4.3
"Chemical Khitchdi" this title is very catchy, one reason I purchased this book. I'm giving this book a 4.3 rating because of the courage it took for the author to come out in the world and explain it to others and let them know there are many mental health issues that anyone among us can go through and we might not even know. The author had the best financial conditions and then also all her family felt helpless for years how about people who are not financially that sound? Mental health issues are not easy to detect because we all do not ivolve with a person deeply, we have many shallow Hi and Bye just to be cordial and diplomatic to survive in this world.
Biploarity involves an extreme shift in mood and energy levels due to certain triggers that cause chemical reactions in the brain.
STAY AWARE & DON'T HESITATE TO SEEK HELP 🤝
#chemicalkhitchdi
#howihackedmymentalhealth
#selfhelpbook
#aparnapiramalraje
#bipolarity
#bipolardisorder
#mustread
#awareness
#mentalhealth
#importanceofmentalhealth
#guidance
#seekhelp
#bookstagrampost
#bookstagrammer
#booklover
#bookstagram
#morebooks
#reader
#reviewer
#readerssnapshot
#july
#julytbr
#goodreads
May 12, 2022
This book is a timely essential read as it’s mental health awareness month. Aparna’s writing comes from a vulnerability, authenticity and lived experience. What I liked is it took you through a journey of normalising mental health issues in India. The 7 chapters culminated in a can do approach to hack our mental health given the pandemic backdrop.
Each chapter touched a cord within the two most important being my all time favourite movie ‘Silver linings playbook’ and Mariah Carey’s Hero. Truly this song is apt. Aparna Piramal Raje, you are aiding the reader to find the ‘hero’ within and take a clear, real, raw and hopeful look at mental health.
Each chapter touched a cord within the two most important being my all time favourite movie ‘Silver linings playbook’ and Mariah Carey’s Hero. Truly this song is apt. Aparna Piramal Raje, you are aiding the reader to find the ‘hero’ within and take a clear, real, raw and hopeful look at mental health.
February 20, 2023
Many of the tips and methods suggested in this book are not possible for an average middle class person to do, because of a vast difference in resources. Although the author admits her privilege, and I empathize with her struggles with mental illness, it is difficult to find this book useful.
January 28, 2023
3.5/5
The structure of the book didnt sit very well with me. Second quarter onwards, and especially second half is really good. Lot of great takeaways, the most important one being that learning about yourself, taking active steps to becoming comfortable with yourself, and creating a life that is not driven by society's definition of happiness and success is not rocket science. It takes patience, consistency, and work. The first quarter though, that describes the timeline of the authors journey, might have read better if it was interspersed with her recovery journey. Good read. Heavy at first, much more relatable towards the end. All in all a commendable feat of writing.
The structure of the book didnt sit very well with me. Second quarter onwards, and especially second half is really good. Lot of great takeaways, the most important one being that learning about yourself, taking active steps to becoming comfortable with yourself, and creating a life that is not driven by society's definition of happiness and success is not rocket science. It takes patience, consistency, and work. The first quarter though, that describes the timeline of the authors journey, might have read better if it was interspersed with her recovery journey. Good read. Heavy at first, much more relatable towards the end. All in all a commendable feat of writing.
June 1, 2022
I’ve always enjoyed Aparna Piramal Raje’s pieces in The Mint, her profiles of business icons like Rahul Bajaj, or her vivid narratives about workspaces, buildings and cities. While reading her latest book, Chemical Kichdi, where she turns her writerly lens on her own life, my admiration for Aparna has only intensified. She has, at many points in her life, been a multitasker of the sort that Allison Pearson captured with comic clarity in her 2002 novel, I Don’t Know How She Does It. Aparna has been a business leader, a writer, a philanthropist, a community organizer, a wife, a mother of two kids – all this while contending with bipolarity.
In his foreword to Aparna’s book, Anand Mahindra dwells on how the author’s life might seem invulnerable from the outside. To begin with, she garnered degrees from the elite Oxford University and Harvard Business School. Her career has been equally impressive: penning articles for papers like The Mint and the UK’s Financial Times Weekend, spearheading a furniture business, and authoring books. As Aparna puts it and more incredibly demonstrates, “you can be happy, successful and bipolar.”
Chemical Khichdi, her third book after Working Out of The Box: 40 Stories of Leading CEOs and the co-authored Business Mantras, has been motivated by an altruistic concern to educate and inspire communities, families and individuals who have faced mental health conditions. And also to sensitize policymakers, business leaders and employers of all stripes to the needs of employees who require occasional breaks or in-house counselors.
Penning a candid account of what her illness feels like from the inside, Aparna details therapies that can work for others, based on her own experiences. Moreover, she is acutely attuned, as the daughter of Dilip and Gita Piramal, that she was born into financial and cultural privilege. Conscious of how others in the country may lack the resources she can access, she suggests solutions that are tailored for diverse contexts. Therapies she recommends are broadly labeled as Medical, Love, Empathy, Self, Work, Spiritual and Lifestyle.
Read the rest of the review here:
https://brindasnarayan.com/chemicalkh...
In his foreword to Aparna’s book, Anand Mahindra dwells on how the author’s life might seem invulnerable from the outside. To begin with, she garnered degrees from the elite Oxford University and Harvard Business School. Her career has been equally impressive: penning articles for papers like The Mint and the UK’s Financial Times Weekend, spearheading a furniture business, and authoring books. As Aparna puts it and more incredibly demonstrates, “you can be happy, successful and bipolar.”
Chemical Khichdi, her third book after Working Out of The Box: 40 Stories of Leading CEOs and the co-authored Business Mantras, has been motivated by an altruistic concern to educate and inspire communities, families and individuals who have faced mental health conditions. And also to sensitize policymakers, business leaders and employers of all stripes to the needs of employees who require occasional breaks or in-house counselors.
Penning a candid account of what her illness feels like from the inside, Aparna details therapies that can work for others, based on her own experiences. Moreover, she is acutely attuned, as the daughter of Dilip and Gita Piramal, that she was born into financial and cultural privilege. Conscious of how others in the country may lack the resources she can access, she suggests solutions that are tailored for diverse contexts. Therapies she recommends are broadly labeled as Medical, Love, Empathy, Self, Work, Spiritual and Lifestyle.
Read the rest of the review here:
https://brindasnarayan.com/chemicalkh...
May 31, 2022
The book conveys this message very clearly “ The illness within you can be part of your own self but never let it define you” . It may be difficult for anybody to internally process author’s revelation of mental health condition knowing her credentials and inspirational persona .
In the first part the author takes you through the journey of her personal life giving account of deeply felt intense manic episodes . Author further states how she channelled her emotional upheaval during such bouts by writing poems to raise funds for social cause and writing toast within few minutes for her aunt’s birthday . These are some of many interesting anecdotes of her life which keeps the reader hooked to the book throughout . In the second part the author is able to manage her condition through various therapies giving details of each one elaborately . Her writing become extremely meditative in last few chapters of therapies . There are many takeaways for the reader on these therapies section.
This honest memoir is the story of grit and resilience to overcome something which is coming in a way of ever evolving life journey . It’s possible to productively use your mind despite dealing with parallel existence of bipolarity . This book brings light in the dark space by giving a ray of hope to people fighting engulfing mental condition .
In the first part the author takes you through the journey of her personal life giving account of deeply felt intense manic episodes . Author further states how she channelled her emotional upheaval during such bouts by writing poems to raise funds for social cause and writing toast within few minutes for her aunt’s birthday . These are some of many interesting anecdotes of her life which keeps the reader hooked to the book throughout . In the second part the author is able to manage her condition through various therapies giving details of each one elaborately . Her writing become extremely meditative in last few chapters of therapies . There are many takeaways for the reader on these therapies section.
This honest memoir is the story of grit and resilience to overcome something which is coming in a way of ever evolving life journey . It’s possible to productively use your mind despite dealing with parallel existence of bipolarity . This book brings light in the dark space by giving a ray of hope to people fighting engulfing mental condition .
May 10, 2025
READ THIS BOOK! 10/10 Would recommend! MUST READ! I am so touched by this book that I (who never writes reviews) wanted to put a review up.
During this read I felt like I was right there with the author. I felt every high, every low, every mess as if it were mine. This is not your typical ‘self-help’ book. I do not suffer from BPD however reading her experience, her thoughts, her feelings - it really changed my whole perspective on how to be a human. On each page this is what I kept thinking - Is this what it’s like to be truly human? Is being human truly this beautiful? The scale of feelings and emotions the author has been through and - impressively - overcomes and grows from, I have never felt so many emotions so strongly and it was truly eye opening. I learn how truly being human looks like - truly being alive - and how to truly be a friend to someone suffering from any kind of mental illness or even strong emotions. In fact after reading I did some self reflection - if I were to write my book on my life & experiences, would it today be as beautiful as this one is? I would highly recommend to buy this book, it is a deep page turner and the authors journey is incredibly beautiful!
During this read I felt like I was right there with the author. I felt every high, every low, every mess as if it were mine. This is not your typical ‘self-help’ book. I do not suffer from BPD however reading her experience, her thoughts, her feelings - it really changed my whole perspective on how to be a human. On each page this is what I kept thinking - Is this what it’s like to be truly human? Is being human truly this beautiful? The scale of feelings and emotions the author has been through and - impressively - overcomes and grows from, I have never felt so many emotions so strongly and it was truly eye opening. I learn how truly being human looks like - truly being alive - and how to truly be a friend to someone suffering from any kind of mental illness or even strong emotions. In fact after reading I did some self reflection - if I were to write my book on my life & experiences, would it today be as beautiful as this one is? I would highly recommend to buy this book, it is a deep page turner and the authors journey is incredibly beautiful!
February 19, 2023
An amazing and insightful book on mental health. Well written and touched on many prevalent areas bringing raining awareness on living life with a mental health disability. Worth the price and value for money for this book Rs277 on Amazon. I specially liked how we should integrate spiritual therapy with professional medical therapy. This is a much debated area where integration of the two would result in better health outcomes. There are many helpful resources cited in her book that one can use to help themselves. She has even given her daily schedule that is enlightening. I especially appreciate the author who have become so vulnerable with her story and had the courage to write and reflect on her condition and life and to share her insights with readers through her book. Thanks Aparna Piramal Raje #mentalhealth #help #amazon #book #mentalhealthawareness
November 3, 2022
Its commendable how Aparna has put herself out in this book. To be vulnerable and talk about your journey, takes a lot of courage. The first half of her book really helped me understand pieces of my presents who suffers from mental health too. The second half felt like any self help book with some meandering on religion and spirituality.
It was nice to read her journey but a little more editing in the second half would have been great. I would still recommend this book because the first half, her turmoil and how the family stood by her is just something all should learn from.
It was nice to read her journey but a little more editing in the second half would have been great. I would still recommend this book because the first half, her turmoil and how the family stood by her is just something all should learn from.
July 6, 2022
Aparna Piramal Raje has touched a relatively less discussed area of Indian society... That of mental health. I liked the way she has revealed personal stories from her own life and how others around her and she herself has handled it and still aced in multiple areas of life. A must read Indian book on mental health.
July 3, 2022
Great insight into the mental health condition of Bipolarity. Useful for anyone to gain perspective on the importance of slowing down regardless of the fact that they have a mental health condition or not. Aparna's vulnerability is heartwarming...
February 5, 2023
An eye opner! I'll always keep or refer this book in need. Enriching to live through Aparna's thoughts!! Nice read.
Read
April 20, 2023nice book to read
August 27, 2024
A glimpse of a mind suffering from Bipolar. Very nicely described.
May 7, 2023
Life changing book for me!
Helped me to understand things on multiple levels!
So happy to have come across this book.
smart writing.
Loved the way how things are described n the tools shared everyday issues. Loved the poems.
Loved the reference of “Geeta”.
Helped me to understand things on multiple levels!
So happy to have come across this book.
smart writing.
Loved the way how things are described n the tools shared everyday issues. Loved the poems.
Loved the reference of “Geeta”.
December 2, 2023
Mental health issues are much more common than we’d like to admit. Yet most of us are quite oblivious on how this affects the patient and the people around. And hence unaware of the challenges they all face in leading a ‘normal’ life. In this context, Aparna Raje Piramal’s book is an extremely bold, honest and refreshing first-person account of someone who has struggled with a bipolar disorder for ~2 decades and has figured out some sort of model to deal with it.
Given her privileged position, one could say she is ‘lucky’ to have the financial means to navigate her condition without having to worry about mundane issues in life like a steady monthly paycheck. Yet, as she shows, it is the extraordinary support from family and friends alike, that makes the difference in her being able to even out the impact of her regular highs and lows, brought on about an ailment which is literally ‘trigger-happy’.
Not just a memoir, but also a rather practical guide for patients and their loved ones. Probably a book which impacted me the most this year!
Given her privileged position, one could say she is ‘lucky’ to have the financial means to navigate her condition without having to worry about mundane issues in life like a steady monthly paycheck. Yet, as she shows, it is the extraordinary support from family and friends alike, that makes the difference in her being able to even out the impact of her regular highs and lows, brought on about an ailment which is literally ‘trigger-happy’.
Not just a memoir, but also a rather practical guide for patients and their loved ones. Probably a book which impacted me the most this year!
May 23, 2023
Blessed with the gift of knowledge by the Author.
Made life manageable to me!
Made life manageable to me!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews