When Pain Becomes Invisible | Riddhima Dabral | TEDxVivekanandSchool

This powerful TEDx talk by Riddhima Dabral shines a light on the silent reality of mental health struggles that go unseen, unheard, and too often dismissed. Beginning with a friend’s haunting confession—“I wish I had a fracture instead of anxiety”—she unpacks why society offers empathy to visible pain but judgment to invisible suffering. Through compelling stories and sharp experiments that reveal our hidden biases, Riddhima challenges the way we casually ask “How are you?” and how rarely we stay for the real answer. With honesty and emotional depth, she shows that awareness means nothing without empathy, presence, and the courage to create spaces where it’s safe to say “I’m not okay.” This talk is a profound invitation to rethink how we listen, how we respond, and how we begin to understand the pain we cannot see. Riddhima Dabral is a passionate Humanities student from Vivekanand School with a strong interest in psychology and mental health. A state-level Delhi Yoga Championship winner and multi-time zonal swimming champion, she blends discipline, focus, and empathy in everything she pursues.

An active member of NGO NEST Bharat, Riddhima contributes to community well-being initiatives and social awareness campaigns. With a deep academic inclination toward psychology, she aspires to research in neuropsychology and contribute to a world where mental health is understood with compassion and supported with science. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx