Within the Caribbean there is a certain stigma when it comes to mental health, however, that is slowly changing. The Millenials and Gen Zs have made it more apparent for mental health to be as equally important as physical health, and have advocated for safe spaces for people to come forth with mental health challenges. Adriana Ramkissoon, a Trinidadian social media influencer, is one example of the next generation paving the way to normalize speaking on mental health matters. On September 4, 2020, Ramkissoon, opened up about her issues with anxiety and depression in an emotive video on her IGTV on Instagram. We can all agree it takes a valiant soul to open up about mental health issues especially the way Adriana did because her confessions were ulterior to how she is perceived on social media. The ‘champagne showers’ and bikini pictures that entice her plethora of male fans on Instagram does not give a full contextual description of Ramkissoon’s life.
A social media influencer influenced by her academic pursuits, the psychology major is deeply invested in removing the negative stigma attached to mental health conversations in the Caribbean region. Ramkissoon fully understands the implications of various mental health issues and is cognizant of the tools needed to combat them. Despite everything she’s been through, Ramkissoon is still just as fun-loving, vivacious, and incredibly beautiful as any woman. A die-hard lover of carnival and total foodie, she lives on the lighter side of life, but she’s just too authentic of a person to pretend every day is like a crystal clear blue sky.
In conversation with Ramkissoon, we asked her how she found the courage to open up about her mental health issues. She candidly said, “honestly I’ve been wanting to do that video for years, but I never had the strength or drive in me to actually make that post because I’ve always been seen as the girl that’s full of life and loves to party. I struggle daily to deal with that perception because I do have my moments where I just want to sit and cry or be alone for days because of having anxiety and living life so publicly.” She goes on to say, “I was so afraid to be judged after I posted that video I didn’t check my phone until the next day because I didn’t want to see what anyone had to say. I shared that private part of my life because I felt like mental health shouldn’t be something that brings shame to us, it should help to elevate us especially in times like these. Talking about it is what’s going to help, and asking for help was one of the scariest yet bravest things I ever did.”
Grounded by empathy and compassion, Ramkissoon encourages everyone struggling with mental health issues to seek help as she has found value in attending therapy. “I remember my first therapy session was so awkward. Being a psychology student at that time, I was aware of how a session should go theoretically and I had an idea of the process but I wasn’t prepared for what these sessions revealed to me.”
Following a few therapy sessions, Ramkissoon became comfortable and was able to talk more freely. “I realized that these issues were connected to my childhood and had been developing since primary school,” she confessed. “I definitely wasn’t the brightest student and my parents made sure I took extra lessons every day. I remember one of my lessons teacher told me that I will never be good enough to get into the school I wanted, and that stuck with me until I was an adult. That’s where my depression started and later in life during high school, I was bullied a lot for having acne!” Ramkissoon recounts getting anxious every morning walking through the school gate as she says, “I would try to make up some excuse not to go to school that day and of course my mom was not having it.”
“In university, when I had exams I had a high level of anxiety. This anxiety spilled over into personal relationships as well,” she explains. “All this I learned from my sessions and I can make changes in my life now so that I don’t end up feeling like that every day. Therapy helped me to accept me for me and showed me that I can love myself even though I struggle with all this. It also taught me that I can deal with it head-on instead of letting it take me over. I honestly believe everyone should see a therapist from time to time.”
Ramkissoon’s interest in studying psychology grew from learning under the instruction of one of her sociology teachers in form 6. Her curiosity led her to watch documentaries on cults and historical wars. She remembers, “that sparked my fascination with how the mind works and wanting to figure out why we do things in a particular way. So I decided I wanted to go into criminal psychology because I’ve always been obsessed with crime shows. I wanted to get inside the minds of these people.”
However, she took a special interest in wanting to counsel teens which she started doing earlier this year. “I wanted to help them know that they had a voice and that they can become more than what they are being told by society, ” Ramkissoon expresses. “One of the students I counseled once told me he wanted to get involved in agriculture so that he could earn more income for his family. He wanted to plant food and sell it in the market. So I asked ‘Why do you want to do that?’ He said ‘My father told me that’s the only thing I’m going to ever do!’ That broke my heart. I want Caribbean youth to know that they can achieve anything in this life because I was once told I was not good enough and I definitely disproved that.”
Despite her mental health challenges, Ramkissoon still lives a blessed life. We applaud her for her outright raw, truthful, and vulnerable admissions, but to get to know her outside of her mental health advocacy, we inquired about her renowned taste in champagne and swimwear. She said, “my absolute favorite is Belaire Rosé for sure, it’s so good. My favorite local bikini designer… I actually have a few…Genesis Swimwear and of course SJW Designs.” Christmas time in Trinidad is dominated by Ramkissoon’s favorite foods and she shared with us in closing the cuisine she looks forward to in a Trini Christmas. “It all comes back to chicken pastilles with mushrooms and chow chow. I already ate a dozen this week LOL,” she divulged.
