The Hard Way is What Saves You

In middle school, Yamini Rajan dealt with bullying, isolation, and a sick parent. Her mental health suffered, and destructive habits and self-harm nearly ended her life.  As she healed, she committed to telling others about her story. Now Yamini helps start conversations about mental health in immigrant communities. A note to listeners: this episode contains references to suicide and self-harm. Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story, in collaboration with Portland Radio Project. This episode was produced by Caitlin Dwyer. Monica Salazar conducted the original interview in Winter 2019. Our audio editing was done by Rick March and Kent Randles, assisted by Gordon Graham. Music was composed by Denzel Mendoza. Our executive producer is Sankar Raman. If you’re suffering from depression or having thoughts of self-harm, get help. Call 1-800-273-8255, or text the Crisis Line (you can text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Someone is there to help.