Roots & Resilience – Mental Health through Cultural Lens

Hello fellow forumites! 👋

As a daughter to first gen immigrants, I've found it difficult (and still do at times) to find my identity and navigate what it means to be brought up in a western world while also being ethnically South Asian. And then you throw mental health into the mix, and sometimes there's different challenges to face (i.e. language barriers, lack of cultural understanding, intergenerational trauma, religious and cultural stereotypes/discrimination, etc).

From the discussions I’ve had with others from multicultural backgrounds, a lot of us tend to share this feeling of ‘conflict’, where something in the western world may be viewed in one way but culturally, it may be the opposite – and sometimes dealing with cultural clashes on our own can be difficult. So, this thread here is a space for us to feel less alone and share things that have helped us feel more empowered in our mental health journeys. Even if you yourself haven't experienced any cultural clashes or challenges, feel free to engage - maybe there's a media representation that opened your eyes to mental health from a multicultural lens? or maybe you know someone who's overcome some cultural hurdles in their journey?

You’re all welcome to share any thoughts you have but in case you're stuck, here's a few prompts to get you started:

• What’s helped you deal with cultural stigmas when reaching out for support and/or talking about mental health?
• Share a quote/piece of advice/story that’s been impactful in your recovery journey.
• What are some books/movies/tv shows/celebrity stories/any other type of CALD representation that’s helped you feel seen or inspired?