I read this article in the Guardian and had to reiterate how true and sad this article is, I have experienced this with many of my clients and counselling has been liffe changing for them.

Article in the Guardian:

‘Faith gave my family comfort over my depression, but I needed medical help’

“We need to start normalising mental illness for south Asian communities and get positive, factual messages about mental illness out there, such as that mental health problems are nothing to be ashamed of, and people can recover from mental illness with the right treatment and support,” she says.

“When I was diagnosed, there was a desire among my extended family to turn to spiritual help instead of seeing it as an illness.” his grandmother took her to temples, and once invited a priest and a faith healer to her house to pray for her. Another time, she was given a coconut and told to throw it into a river.

For five years, the family kept his illness a secret, giving excuses so that they didn’t have to attend family social events without him, or face people asking too many questions. But Shah says he realises now that there is an urgent need to speak openly of mental illness, rather than try to hide it. “In Asian communities, we are afraid to open up because of what others will think and this means people may not be receiving the help they need. Families need to seek help early rather than feel ashamed. Times have changed and we need more understanding, more awareness and more compassion. My son has an illness, but he is still my son and the wonderful, intelligent person he has always been.”