Deconstructing Stigma: Confronting the Reality of Suicides in the South Asian Culture

Editor's note: Deconstructing Stigma: A Change in Thought Can Change a Life is a public awareness campaign developed by McLean Hospital to spark conversation not only about behavioral and mental health but also about the stigma that surrounds it. The campaign features compelling stories from people across the United States who have been affected by mental illness, including Dimple's story below. McLean Hospital Guest Blogger Dimple Patel Many individuals within the South Asian culture do not share their personal stressors with anyone and prefer to keep these suppressed. The more they keep these negative experiences hidden, the more harm they cause to themselves. I was one of these individuals for several years until I decided to change this and speak out against the stigma. On March 10, 2011, I lost my mother to suicide. I never thought something like this would happen to my family, but it did. My mom was gone. My life changed overnight, and I was forced to become this person I was not ready to be. It was not until my mother's unexpected death that I realized the power of these cultural differences and how they impacted our lives. I struggled to process what happened. When someone asked me how my mother died, I could not say what happened and would avoid answering how she passed away. I felt so lost and confused without her. I felt sad and angry at the same time. I avoided going to temple due to the fears of my family being judged or talked about. The darkness that follo...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news