“I’m an alien sent to Earth to spread love through madness”: Val Resh
Reshma Valliappan, also known as Val Resh, runs a creative initiative called The Red Door to raise awareness on mental health, disability, sexuality and human rights.
Reshma Valliappan, also known as Val Resh is a writer, artist, activist, speaker among other things. Diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 22 after years of struggling with what everyone considered “angry teenage rebellion”, she is a vocal advocate for the rights of those who are diagnosed with mental health issues. She runs a creative initiative called The Red Door to raise awareness on mental health, disability, sexuality and human rights. She released her autobiography ‘Fallen, Standing: My Life as a Schizophrenist’, a powerful memoir of her journey to diagnosis, in February 2015. She is also an Ashoka and INK Fellow.