Pooja Patel's Story:

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​We live in a society where if you say you have a mental illness, you're told it's all in your head, when really it is, where illnesses that don't manifest themselves visibly are disregarded. We live in a society where seeking help means you're crazy, we casually call people “psychos”, getting medicated for mental health issues equals failure to cope, where psych departments are severely underfunded. We live in a culture where as a south Asian female, sometimes its easier to tell your parents you're pregnant rather than depressed because pregnancy is tangible but mental health is a myth, where we don't seek help because "log kya kahenge", where greedy pandits and jyotishs claim mental illness can be magically cured with rituals and spells. If you're lucky enough, maybe your depression will be magically cured when someone removes your "nazar" or if you drink the right ayurvedic concoction. I've been told by south asian health professionals I'm too young, too smart, too successful to have a mental illness, as if sadness chooses who it's going to effect based on their age, GPA and social status. As if when I twist my ankle, I'll ever be told, no you're too young, too smart, too successful for a twisted ankle. It's takes a lot of courage to come to terms with your mental health issues and want to seek help. Often times you have to go behind your family's backs to get help because it's such a shameful topic. Mental health stigma still prevents countless people from getting the services they need and deserve today, especially in the South Asian community. As a community, let’s come together and support our brothers and sisters who are suffering in silence and uplift the dark veil of mental health stigma. Let’s talk about it.