Our Story

My name is Amrit Bhabra: I’m not a qualified professional or an experienced doctor. I have, however, lived with poor mental health for the majority of my life. I’ve experienced the frustration coming out of a doctor’s appointment after being told that there’s nothing more they can do to help me; I’ve had to repeatedly explain the same symptoms that I experience to a variety of doctors, consultants, and specialists; I’ve tried a wide range of therapies and treatments (from CBT to medication). Through all of this, I’ve come to realise that there are no “quick fixes” or “simple solutions” to overcoming and learning to live with a mental illness. You’re also more likely to need a multitude of tools and coping mechanisms to get through life than you are to just be able to get through life with one. Everyone needs different things to help them along different parts on their journeys and this is what has motivated me to create Happea Minds. A place where you can look for guidance, support, and information to help you in your mental health journey.

Mental health can affect every part of you. Although people are breaking the stigma by starting to talk about it, there’s still a long way to go in others understanding the impact that poor mental health and mental illness can have on someone as a whole and on their way of living. There seems to be a misconception that if an issue is common, it loses its importance, but I don’t believe in this. Your life is exclusively yours – so if something is affecting your life then you’re allowed to recognise that it’s not right for you and want to change it. Every single individual who experiences any mental health difficulty will experience a different set of symptoms to others and learning how to navigate those difficulties will give you tools you’ll be able to carry with you for the rest of your life.

Through Happea Minds, I’m hoping to offer you as much support and understanding as I physically can. Although we may not have been through exactly the same struggles, I want you to know that I care. It’s very easy in such a huge world to feel like you’re the only person going through something, but I promise that you’re not alone. Alongside Happea Minds’ creative director Pritti (who is also my mum!), we have established an Etsy shop and an Instagram account to raise awareness and be able to fund a long-term vision of being able to create and supply mental wellbeing toolkits to young people.