Ritik Pandey, a vibrant 24-year-old filmmaker, carries a past etched with mental illness. The darkness began when he was 16 and still in school. A series of manic episodes led to conclusion of bipolar disorder. In 2019,Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) joined the battle, leaving Ritik bedridden, consumed by racing thoughts and crippling depression. It was during this bleak period that Ritik’s principal introduced him to Children First (CF), a lifeline he desperately needed. A child and adolescent mental health service, CF celebrated 15 years of service on April 21 at their Safdarjung Enclave centre, New Delhi. Founded in 2009 by Dr. Shelja Sen, a (child and adolescent psychologist), Dr. Amit Sen (Director, Senior Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist) and Dr. Kavitha Arora (Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist), the centre offers a range of mental health care solutions for children and adolescents up to age 25. It is here that Ritik met a team that understood the complexities of his mental state. Unlike the sterile hospital environment, CF offered a warm embrace. The journey wasn’t easy. Nearly six …