Getting sucked out of the black hole of India’s legal mental health machinery

Lavanya shares her personal experiences of deprivation of legal capacity and a diagnosis of schizophrenia and the effect that had on her family and her access to education. Following her diagnosis in 1997 a psychiatrist advised Lavanya’s family to treat her using ‘rest cure’ which meant she was confined to her home and could not attend college. Lavanya recounts the impact this had on her relationship with her family and her education and how important support was to her eventually realising her dreams. Maths responds to Lavanya’s experiences in light of article 12, 14, 19 and 24 of the Convention on the Rights of persons with Disabilities.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

My name is Lavanya Seshasayee Bangalore.  

I am from India. 

I speak English, Kannada and a bit of Hindi. 

My 7 word autobiography is: Feminist-mental health cum disability-activist and creative storywriter.  

My name is Maths Jesperson.

I am from Sweden.    

I speak Swedish, English, German and a little bit of Russian. 

My 7 word autobiography is psychiatric survivor, international activist, theatre researcher, Catholic.