Norma Fabian Newton had heard of other new mothers experiencing the “baby blues,” short-term sadness and anxiety. But when she had her first child in her early 30s, she described her experience as a “constant barrage of thoughts.” She was showing signs of postpartum depression, a term she had never heard. Through therapy sessions, she would later realize part of the reason she didn’t know how to deal with her postpartum depression was because the people in her life didn’t openly talk about their mental health struggles.
It’s important to normalize mental health conversations at home, but the first step is becoming more comfortable with talking about mental health yourself.
Growing up, Newton said feelings were regarded as something that needed to be overcome as quickly as possible. If she was crying, she was told to stop. She learned to numb her feelings, which eventually manifested as anxiety and depression.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness website states the Hispanic/Latinx community “can be very private and may not want to publicly talk about” the challenges in their homes or in their lives. This can continue the cycle of stigma or taboo view of mental health in the community.
There are three types of barriers to talking about, learning about, or receiving mental healthcare:
- Individual barriers, which include cultural influences, exposure to stressful situations, and knowledge or access to the mental health system.
- Community barriers, which refer to communities that lack access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
- Societal barriers, which include poor living conditions, inadequate transportation, and social exclusion (feeling like you don’t belong in a community or to larger society).
Read more at LATimes.com.
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