mental illnesses as taboo within the apa communi

[kasia]

stats show that there is a lower rate of asians seeking mental help than all other races in the u.s. however, stats also show that those asians who do seek mental help tend to be diagnosed with a much more serious level of psychosis than are patients of other races. this suggests that asians don't seek it until they absolutely have to--often times until it is too late.

what is your take on this? have you known anyone you believed to be mentally ill? did they seek help? were they chastised or treated differently for doing so?

[deez nuts]

It's getting a little bit better, but still needs a lot of work, from talking with the Psychiatrists and Psychiatry residents.

I think the main thing is attributed to the fact that parents blame themselves and view it as doing a bad job raising their children, if they have mental disorders and/or illness.

Not an expert, it's what I came across in my experience and from talking with Asians in the Psychiatry and Psychology field

[kimpossible]

I think some of the reluctance is due in part to cultural reasons like admitting mental illness, weakness, sharing emotions. On top of that it's kind of like a double whammy. It's not easy to find a shrink, or whatever better term you want to use, that can effectively deal with Asian family baggage.

I'll admit that I've seriously considered some sort of therapy because of all the pent up family drama I have, but the thought of running into a doctor that just doesn't 'get it' or makes cultural judgments... that's the last real reason I don't go. If I see a totally non-Asian shrink, I feel like he/she won't be able to totally understand my family issues and if I see an Asian shrink I'm going to be embarrassed because I'll be admitting I can't handle what's going on in my life. I'll feel selfish and whiny, then go into denial that nothing's wrong.

[deez nuts]

Yah but HH. It's more acceptable for our generation nowadays. If you feel you gotta vent to a professional aka therapy, do it. Nothing wrong with it, if there was somethinbg wrong with it, they be no such thing as therapists.

Better to vent sometimes than keep things locked up and go crazy.

Hey I should take my own advice, bleh.



<!--EDIT|Chasiubao_Boy|Sep 8 2002, 07:11 PM-->

[kasia]

one of the reasons cited by asians for not seeking therapy is because they don't believe that the therapy can do anything. 'what is talking going to do for my problems?' is often the sentiment. i guess many asians aren't used to the idea of talking their problems out.

to fix this, some asian psychiatrists have suggested giving patients a 'gift'--making the help seem more tangible. listening isn't enough--asians expect actual advice (which most psychiatrists/counselors have been taught *not* to give.)



<!--EDIT|kasia|Sep 9 2002, 12:32 AM-->

[kimpossible]

Originally posted by kasia@Sep 8 2002, 04:12 PM
one of the reasons cited by asians for not seeking therapy is because they don't believe that the therapy can do anything. 'what is talking going to do for my problems?' is often the sentiment. i guess many asians aren't used to the idea of talking their problems out.
Not sure if this has anything to do with having some Asian upbringing or not, but I agree 100% with this. I don't feel like talking to a stranger is going to accomplish a thing. But the stronger issue for me is actually talking about my feelings face to face w/someone. In my marriage it's easier because there is a familiarity w/my partner, but a stranger?

I'm not Asian enough for the present thing to work for me. That would make me feel weirder.

[amietron]

If you think that it may help you, even if it's just a little bit, I think you should give it a shot. You don't have that much to lose. If you're embarassed that other people will find out/know, then don't tell anyone. If you think you may feel uncomfortable, look around and don't settle until you find the right guy. I mean, even after you try it just once, if you really don't like it or don't find it beneficial whatsoever, just don't go anymore. You're not obligated to go if you don't want to.

[kimpossible]

I'm starting to wish I never said anything...

I did go. Once. I hated it because I felt it accomplished absolutely zero in the real world. If I could find a cool therapist that could advise real world strategies - if someone could make it feel practical I'd be there in a heartbeat.

*goes back to her room with padded walls*

[karizma]

>> i was forced to goto a counselor before because everyone around me felt like i needed to talk about my feelings of "loss" and whatnot...it kind of pissed me off because ive dealt with it in my own way and have now overcome them...and its all settled...but when some psych prods at me it stirs up the debris at the bottom of the river...it really did no good for me and i ended up walking out angrier than when i started so i just stopped going altogether =/...im very stubborn when it comes to getting help from people...mostly because ive thought of myself as independent....*shrugs*

[amietron]

Hapa neichan-- you're not the only one. Just remember that, k? And don't go hiding in padded white rooms, either.

I've gone to more than a few shrinks.

#1: I was in 7th grade. My parents made me go with them cus they didn't like that I talked back to them, questioned their judgement, etc. Didn't work out. Only went once. He said all adults were smarter than kids. I countered. Parents got mad at me for giving my opinion. I cried and ran outta the office to the car. The end.

#2-4: 10th grade. All women. After my parents found out how much class I'd cut, they freaked out, and again, thought a shrink could magically fix me. Went to each once. Didn't care for any of 'em.

#5: Right before I was going to leave for boarding school. Tried to iron out some of my problems. All things about me that my parents didn't like. Went to her a few times.

#6: Fall 2001. Talked to my school counselor about how fed up I was with the way my parents kept ragging on me. Push, push, push. You can only push someone so far, before they start pushing back. Told her this, told her that. She said we might consider seeking counseling. The shrink was Japanese. Born in Japan. Saw her for about 6 months. Mom went to talk to her every other week or every 2 weeks. Again, went to smooth out problems with my parents. Some stuff happened. Parents fired the shrink cus she didn't fix me.

#7: Only seen her twice so far. I'm supposed to schedule another appointment with her, but I haven't. Either I go back to her, or find another person. Not sure which.

-Don't you think this is kinda like counseling? Whenever you have a problem or issue that you can't go to anyone else about (or don't care to go to them) or that you can't address by yourself, you post something here on YW, and the replies flow in. People try to help you by giving you suggestions, their advice and opinions.

[SunWuKong]

i went to a counselor weekly during my senior year of college. the first time i went, i went because i thought i had ADD, but the counselor assured me that i didn't. then she started asking me questions and we got into a nice conversation. so i decided to go every week because it was free. it was nice to talk to someone who was not a person i know in my personal life because she offered an objective view. after a while she wanted me to go see this psychiatrist to see if i needed drugs. she was not a psychiatrist so could not prescribe pills herself. i knew that this meant i might be put on prozac or a certain kind of SSRI drug. but i knew that those drugs usually take at least 1 to 3 months of regular intake to kick in, and then it could become difficult to get off them. by then i wasn't far from graduating so i told her i don't think i need it. then she changed her mind and told me that she thinks i have "situational depression". i was thinking that's like saying there's nothing wrong with me at all but i didn't want to say that to her.

anyway that's the extend of my own personal experience with it. i didn't tell my parents about this because i didn't want to worry them. in my extended family i have relatives from both sides of the family who have exhibited mental disorders.

father's side
i have an aunt who suffered/suffers from substance and alcohol abuse/alcoholism, suicidal tendencies/attempts, probably clinical depression - though i don't know if she had been professionally diagnosed with it, but she told me on the phone once while i was trying to convince her not to kill herself that she had not been happy since she was a teenager (she's nearly 50). she had been in and out of rehab, i think currently she has not "fallen of the wagon" because she simply doesn't have the money to drink so much, and no access to drugs anymore.

her son is also the same - substance abuse, sucidal tendencies/attempts, diagnosed psychosis. he claims he hears this sound that nobody else can hear. he was institutionalized once but i've seen him being on whatever sedatives they were that the doctors gave him - he was like a zombie. shit, he functioned better with the psychosis than being on those drugs. so i have misgivings about how he needs to be treated. but the family doesn't agree and think he should be put back in the mental hospital and given those drugs.

we're very worried that his younger brother will develop these things. interestingly my aunt once became violent with her mother (life attempt), and both her sons in later years also did the same to their my mother.

mother's side
on the other side of the family i have a cousin who is clinically depressed, and i suspect she has bipolar II or is manic-depressive. she is doing quite well with regular visits to the shrink and the shrink's SSRI drug of choice. but at times she is absolutely impossible for her family to handle - that's why i think she might have bipolar II. also another cousin who is probably clinically depressed also, and have attempted suicide. he has not seeked professional help and i wish he does. his suicidal attempt involved pointing a gun to his own head. luckily his girlfriend physically stopped him.

and that's just the cases i know about. who knows who else in the family is crazy... kind of makes me not want to have kids.

outside the family i know at least several friends who have mental disorders. one of my girlfriends used to have to take prozac and ridlin every three hours everyday, and some other drugs that i am not familiar with. and another friend just admitted to me the other day that he thinks he could be an alcoholic.

oy what a crazy world we live in.



<!--EDIT|SunWuKung|Sep 8 2002, 10:06 PM-->

[bigwong235]

Originally posted by kasia@Sep 8 2002, 04:12 PM
one of the reasons cited by asians for not seeking therapy is because they don't believe that the therapy can do anything. 'what is talking going to do for my problems?' is often the sentiment. i guess many asians aren't used to the idea of talking their problems out.
talking about my problems? ha! going to one didn't really help me any. going to talk to this guy about random things, and him giving me advice that i already knew about anyway was kinda redundant to me. most times, i would leave feeling angrier than when i went in, just cause i had talked about how i was feeling and crap. didn't see the point in that.

this suggests that asians don't seek it until they absolutely have to--often times until it is too late.


you can say that again.

[amietron]

my grandma's sister is paranoid schizophrenic.
there's something wrong with my dad's sister too.

[achtungbaby]

Thanks for starting this thread, kasia.

I've been considering having myself institutionalized cuz I seem to be getting nuttier everyday. But it's nice knowing I'm not the only psychopath here...:)

[angel nympho]

I think the reason why it's more "taboo" or whatever is because older Asians generally have more pride in themselves. They don't want to ask for help unless they really believe they need it. And I'm not really sure how true that is, but either way, I think that's true for a lot of people.

I, personally, really wanted to talk to professionals when I was going through my shit, but... I just never knew where to turn. I couldn't talk to anybody I knew... I wish I knew of a good shrink. I kind of still want somebody to vent to. Someone to look at my issues objectively and help me in the areas I cannot help myself in. It just helps to talk because it gets your thoughts organized. And it takes a lot of emotion out of it, so you can just look at what you're freaking out over for what it really is.

[kasia]

have you ever tried calling a crisis/help/counseling hotline?

the strange things about those hotlines is that you would have to tell your problems to a complete stranger--someone you haven't even seen before--and sometimes, depending on their style, they may expect you to jump right in and "spill"...and you might not know where to start.

i personally have not had any real problems aside from high stress (so i have been told)--but i think some of the people i am close to may have problems and could use counseling--esp. some of the older people.

sometimes i think it's just having someone to talk to--like angel seemed to get at. if you keep it all bottled up, you're bound to go nuts. and maybe that's why psychiatrists are worth our money--because they'll *listen*...you think?

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by kasia@Sep 13 2002, 06:03 AM
have you ever tried calling a crisis/help/counseling hotline?

the strange things about those hotlines is that you would have to tell your problems to a complete stranger--someone you haven't even seen before--and sometimes, depending on their style, they may expect you to jump right in and "spill"...and you might not know where to start.

i personally have not had any real problems aside from high stress (so i have been told)--but i think some of the people i am close to may have problems and could use counseling--esp. some of the older people.

sometimes i think it's just having someone to talk to--like angel seemed to get at. &nbsp;if you keep it all bottled up, you're bound to go nuts. &nbsp;and maybe that's why psychiatrists are worth our money--because they'll *listen*...you think?
I prefer not to call those hotline things. You never really know who the person on the other end could be... At least if you go to a shrink, you know they're qualitified (for the most part... if you've done your research)... I like the idea of having somebody I could just talk about ME with. When I talk to other people, I either don't want to get into it because it's too personal, or because I don't want to sound so self-absorbed. And I think it's odd that I can't talk about personal things to friends or family... just strangers. Maybe I'm afraid to hear the truth.



[EDIT: Another reason why the internet is my best friend...]



<!--EDIT|angel nympho|Sep 13 2002, 06:07 AM-->

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 12 2002, 09:57 PM
I think the reason why it's more "taboo" or whatever is because older Asians generally have more pride in themselves. They don't want to ask for help unless they really believe they need it. And I'm not really sure how true that is, but either way, I think that's true for a lot of people.
I will grudgingly concede that I need to just release my emotions sometimes. But boy...upbringing is such a powerful thing. I used to think I was pretty good about opening up, that it was just my dad who was a hard ass all the time.

[artsfartsyjanet]

All of you who are trying to explain why it is so difficult for Asians to seek any kind of counseling or treatment from a psychiatrist are correct. A sense of stigma is attached to revealing that you have a "weakness" and shame associated with mental illness. I have a book I read about learning and physical disabilities. Although, these things are different from mental illnesses, there is a parallel between them. For example, Chinese parents are not very supportive if their child has a learning disability or physical disability. They traditionally believe that they must have done something bad to deserve this child as a form of "punishment." Similarly, parents may feel the same way if their children have mental illnesses.... It's the "demons" or bad karma. =) Of course, this explanation is more informal, but I am not surprised that Asian Americans (especially first and second generation Americans) find it hard to confide their problems such as suicidal tendencies, mental illnesses, and so forth. As a crisis worker, I've talked to schizophrenics who were suicidal, teenagers who were suicidal, people with mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, borderline, dissociative identity disorder (aka "multiple personality disorder"), clinical depression, etc.... I've also talked to people who get high on the fumes coming from spray paint bottles, people who use cocaine, crystal meth, etc..., people who are admitting they're alcoholics, people who are addicted to gambling, people who have homicidal tendencies, people who abuse, people who are abused, situations involving child abuse/neglect, people who are unsure of their sexuality, etc..... You name it. As for resources for Asian Americans, there are a lot of social agencies geared towards this population (especially in the East and West Coast). There are a lot in most major cities (e.g. Chicago, Houston, etc.) If you need numbers, just call 1-800-SUICIDE (lovely number I know).... and just ask for referrals. They should have a list of numbers nationally. If there's no social service geared specifically for the Asian population, if you're seeking a clinical counselor or therapist, at least give the other agencies a try. Some therapists may or may not work for you. If not, don't hesitate to try another person, but overall, they should be objective, active listeners, and full of resources. =)



<!--EDIT|artsfartsyjanet|Sep 13 2002, 01:40 AM-->