In South Asia, and more specifically in India, women feel like it is taboo to talk about their mental health. They prioritise everyone else in their family over themselves and expect to live healthily. They forget that it is important to fill your own cup first if you want to pour some of what you’re having on your loved ones. Taking care of oneself is an alien concept for homemakers and just women in general here. Hence, when the “female rage” bursts out unexpectedly, women are termed “unpredictable, always moody, or psychotic and difficult to understand” by men.

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Stigma and Limited Awareness Among South Asian Women

I was surprised to see my mom’s reaction when I told her about Intergenerational Trauma and how it passes on from one generation to another. Since she was born way before the internet existed, and is still not tech-savvy, we can generalize pretty safely that almost all boomers and even some millennials might not even be aware of the harm they are causing to their loved ones and future generations by not opting for therapy. If you are not healed, you cannot provide a healthy environment for your loved ones. Thus, even if your goal is to “always be available and be a safe space” for your family, you cannot do a good job at it if you do not want to look within and deal with your inner healing first. This needs to be dealt with by tailormade interventions made especially for older generations so that they become more and more aware about mental health like the Gen-Z.

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Socioeconomic and Cultural Pressures on Women

Our patriarchal society loves to claim that “Oh, she must be showing symptoms of PMS, that’s normal and just hormonal for women” without knowing the impact it can have on women with genuine and specific mood problems. No, not every woman that deals with emotional outbursts, anxiety, and depression, is suffering only from either Premenstrual Syndrome or Borderline Personality Disorder. Social media has overly romanticized BPD so much that younger generations are starting to think it is a flex. People need to understand that getting a proper diagnosis for your mental health issues is essential and you should not be influenced by random, unverified sources on the internet.

Furthermore, being homemakers, most of the South Asian women suffer economically, without having enough money to manage household expenses. In this scenario, they cannot even think of spending money on therapy. This calls for the government and NGOs to make efforts into making mental healthcare easily accessible and reasonably affordable for people.

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Limited Healthcare Access for People in Rural Areas

No one wants to travel 20 kilometers everyday just to see their therapist. The transportation cost adds up with the actual therapy cost and discourages individuals from continuing therapy. It is every mental health practitioner’s duty to advocate for the women from rural areas and make sure that there is at least one hospital in the vicinity of each and every village, with a well-functioning mental health department. The staff must also be culturally sensitive to the needs and problems of the rural people as understanding them requires empathy and being impatient with them can simply make them feel disrespected.

Fortunately, these days, you just need a device to connect and some mobile data or Wi-Fi can give you access to online therapy sessions that can be equally effective. For women who feel uncomfortable meeting therapists offline, online sessions can be a blessing.

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Specific Vulnerabilities

Cases of PTSD, Depression, Anxiety and several other such mental health issues are reported very often among South Asian women. Intergenerational Trauma and Systemic Oppression based on unhealed wounds and casteism are very common here. Even cases of Postpartum Depression are swept under the rug and ignored as the offspring is valued much more than the mother. Domestic Abuse is another highly and wrongfully normalized phenomenon reported in South Asian countries, especially inflicted upon women. The patriarchy is so blinding in these societies that no wonder most of the cases are not even reported as it is seen as something normal and destined for women. We have to change this mentality and start showing up for ourselves and other fellow women. Change begins from within. Start speaking up!

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Conclusion

Although it may seem difficult to break the stigma all by yourself, know that you are not alone, and women are realizing their true potential day-by-day. You do not have to “save your face” or “take care of the family’s name” at the cost of your own well-being. Start taking care of yourself.

If you are looking for a place to begin therapy with, Heart It Out ditches the one-size-fits-all approach and focuses on YOU. They offer affordable therapy  that won't leave you feeling like you need a side hustle just to pay for it. Check them out to see if they are the perfect fit for your mental wellness journey.