Season 1, Episode 5, "Friendship and Platonic Love"

Despite what we are taught to believe, mental health doesn’t have to be a solitary journey. We can all get by with a little help from our friends. In this episode, Rupal and Sonalee are joined by their best friends, Keerthi Channarasappa, DO and Afsara Zaheed, PhD to talk about how their friendships have supported each of their mental health journeys. The group talks about how platonic relationships are deemphasized in our society and how the systematic elimination of “third spaces” has made it more difficult to make new friends. Dr. Zaheed also talks about the research behind social connection and aging and how it’s not just important for us to have friends, it’s important for our Moms too. The Desi Doubts podcast—brought to you by the explosive and wildly successful 501(3)(c) nonprofit South Asian Americans for Change—tackles stigmas, limiting beliefs and misinformation that come with being South Asian. Cohosts Sonalee Joshi, PhD (researcher, therapist, writer, visual artist) and Rupal Joshi (Co-founder of SAAFC, lawyer, single mom) delve deep in to conversations that are filled with laughs, tips backed by expertise and research, and real lived experience, so you can reframe your mindset on mental health and wellness to live your BEST life, on your OWN terms (not based on stigmas and misinformation that no longer serve us).