In this interview, Sarah Qureshi shares her mental health journey, eye-opening moments, and her optimism and determination to be a game changer in the mental health field. She is a Pre-Med Psychology student at Georgia State University with a strong personal interest in mental health, rehabilitation, and proper representation in the medical field for minorities.
Sarah's journey provides her the impetus to help others, including medical practitioners, understand the importance of explaining what is happening and how medications may positively and negatively affect someone struggling with mental illness. Sarah aims to educate the medical community about the importance of seeing a person holistically so they can better treat them.
Having grown up in a Pakistani household and community, she seeks to bring awareness of the impact of cultural norms, especially where there is a strong taboo on talking about mental health. It has been a difficult journey, but Sarah is excited about her future and plans to become a psychiatrist with a strong influence on the affordability, access, and appropriateness of the uses of medicine in mental illness treatments. She is grateful for the experiences that have led her to this point.
While interning at the Centered Recovery Program in Georgia, Sarah wrote articles on ADHD and Addiction, Music and Mindfulness, and Dopamine and Addiction. She shares that she is incredibly grateful for her education, family, circle of friends, boyfriend, and little sister!
Show Notes
- A life of stories
- The power of music and lyrics
- Dream - to help others struggling with mental health
- The problems with squashing feelings
- Bullying that led to self-gaslighting - taking the blame for how others treated me
- Cultural taboos and the stigma of labels
- Lack of cultural representation or knowledge in the mental health community
- Good and bad aspects of being hospitalized
- Overwhelmed by medications
- Natural ways of self-care have carried me
- Grounding tools and techniques
- Lessons learned about forgiveness
- Put yourself first - ask for help - ask questions
- Take a stand - set boundaries
- Game changers in family dynamics
App Mentioned
Daylio - Self-Care Bullet Journal with Goals, Mood Diary & Happiness Tracker
Song Mentioned
Sarah's Writing
https://www.centeredrecoveryprograms.com/blog/music-and-mindfulness/https://www.centeredrecoveryprograms.com/blog/dopamine-and-addiction/https://www.centeredrecoveryprograms.com/blog/adhd-and-addiction/
Social Media and Resources
Memorable Quotes from Sarah
"In general, the illnesses are just words until they manifest, then I deal with them."
"I'm my own best determiner of my mental state."
"I can still forgive and learn from things that have happened to me without letting go or invalidating my experiences."
"It's all about making a new world. Making it more loving and accepting."
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