We need to talk about mental illness within the asian/muslim community because the stigma attached to it is massive. Parents are more likely to push the narrative that their child is possessed than admit that they need help with their mental health.
And this is seriously toxic, it's not something that can carry on because we will lose a whole generation of young people. In my experience the greater stigma is attached to mental illness within the older generations.
When word goes round that someone is suffering from mental illness then that person goes through what is effectively a social boycott. People stop associating with them and start distancing themselves.
This is the complete opposite of what we should be doing. The vast majority of the time it's ignorance rather than malice which causes this to happen and the onus is on everyone of us to educate ourselves and reach out to those in need.
With this in mind I will be starting something tomorrow which I hope will help at least one person and remind them that they are not alone in this world. #MentalHealthAwareness
unroll please
