Understanding Latinx Stigma Around Therapy / Comprender El Estigma Del Latinx En Torno A La Terapia
Spanish translation here. Haga clic aquí para obtener la traducción al Español.
If you broke your arm, would you go to the hospital? If you had a chronic illness, would you work with your doctor to help you manage it? Most people don’t hesitate to accept professional help for physical conditions. Yet when it comes to psychological health, many people refuse assistance due to cultural taboos.
The stigmas around mental health and therapy are pervasive in Latinx culture. If you’ve ever tried to talk to a Latinx friend or family member about anxiety or depression, for example, they probably minimized your concerns. They may even have told you that mental health issues are “a white people thing” or that pharmaceutical companies invented these diagnoses to sell more pills.
You probably avoided talking about your concerns with anyone outside the family, lest people look down on your family or label you as crazy or weak. Having grown up with the idea that la ropa sucia se lava en casa, you hid your concerns. Even if you had obvious symptoms like cutting or suicidality, your issues might have been dismissed entirely by the people closest to you.
Why is therapy so stigmatized in Latinx culture?
Rates of depression, anxiety, and other psychological conditions are very similar across cultures. So why is mental health so taboo in the Latinx community? There is no single answer to this question, but there are a few possibilities.
Among immigrant families, an emphasis on toughness and machismo sometimes plays a role. Parents and grandparents who grew up in violence- or poverty-stricken countries may have been forced to ignore their mental health as a survival mechanism. In their view, any children or grandchildren raised in better conditions should be grateful and stop complaining.
Religious beliefs can also contribute to stigma. Depending on how you were raised, your mental health issues might have been attributed to mystical factors. Hearing voices, for example, might be blamed on spiritual communications rather than schizophrenia. Prayer might have been viewed as the best cure for things like anxiety and depression. Rather than sending you to a therapist, your family may have sent you to talk to a priest.
What does stigma do to a person?
People who grew up in households where mental health wasn’t discussed are often unfamiliar with the symptoms of common mental health concerns. As such, they may not realize that they could benefit from therapy. Even if they do recognize it, they might be embarrassed to admit it to anyone.
As a result, mental health stigma causes many Latinx individuals in the U.S. to forgo therapy. This is particularly true for non-native families. Mexican immigrants, for example, are highly unlikely to seek support. According to a recent study, 85 percent of Mexican immigrants with a mental health disorder never get treatment.[1]
Ignoring mental health concerns can have stark consequences, even if those concerns are slight. If you struggle with mild anxiety, for example, your relationships may be strained. Your career prospects may also be stifled if you experience panic attacks at work or suffer from sleep problems. The consequences of going untreated will be even more pronounced if you have a more severe mental health disorder.
Internalized mental health stigma can also erode your confidence and prevent you from setting ambitious life goals. “I’m just crazy,” you might think, or “I’m not strong enough. So why should I even try to improve my life when I will probably fail?” Self-stigma could also make you more likely to isolate yourself.
Is it possible to overcome the Latinx stigma around therapy?
It may be impossible to change the negative beliefs of your friends and family, at least in the short term. If they have summarily dismissed your mental health issues in the past, it may be in your best interest to get therapy confidentially.
Alternately, you might bring up the idea of therapy casually with someone you trust and wait for a positive response before sharing more. Some people won’t be open to it, so you should be ready for that. If you do find someone who doesn’t immediately dismiss the idea, your progress in therapy will likely speak for itself. Thanks to your example, their stigma may gradually decrease.
Own Your Relationship With Mental Health in Latinx Therapy!
Ultimately, it is vital that you improve your own relationship with mental health. The best way to start to dissolve your therapy self-stigma will be to talk to someone who views mental health in a positive light, such as an experienced psychotherapist. A qualified counselor can provide a safe, nonjudgmental space that will help you accept your need for support without making you feel crazy or weak.
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Other Online Mental Health Services Offered at The Keely Group in New York City.
In addition to Latinx Therapy, The Keely Group offers a wide variety of online services to fit the needs of busy professionals. We understand that you may face other challenges throughout your daily life that can affect relationships and dating, so we offer online therapy services to help you cope with these issues. Our ultimate goal is to help you streamline your life and that's why we offer an array of services such as: