Being that May is Mental Health Awareness month, I decided to get real vulnerable here and share some of my journey with my mental health. I am not a licensed mental health provider. This is all about my personal journey as a seeker of mental health services.
In this post I’ll share some information that helped me recognize moments of struggle. I’ll also share resources that helped me and what I looked for in a therapist.
Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Of course, always consult with a licensed medical professional if you have any questions about your mental health.
I recognized moments of struggle
As a First-Gen Latina in the United States, I’ve always felt as if I’m living in between two worlds. For as long as I can remember, I grew to know I had to act and be a certain way at home and switch it up when I was out of the house. My family follows cultural traditions brought over from our home country, yet we’ve also adopted American traditions since we live in the United States.
The older I got, the harder it felt to be because it felt like I had to carefully balance or choose between both cultures.
- The hardest time for me was in high school because it was one of the most prominent times where I struggled being bicultural. For example, I wanted to go out and have fun just like my classmates were doing but my Mexican parents shut that idea down real quick. At the time it was hard to understand why they were as overprotective as they were. I craved American independence and had to balance that with my Mexican cultural ways.
- College life was another time where my mental health struggled. Being the first in my family to go to college, I didn’t have any relatives to go to for emotional support. I struggled with culture shock in college being that I attended a campus with a lack of diversity. (It also didn’t help that it was located in an Amish town).
- Post college, I was also the first to navigate working in a professional setting and all that comes with that. What is a 401k? How do I manage my personal finances? I also was now “allowed” to date and all of a sudden started getting pressured to settle down and have kids. (SMH)
The older I got, the more patterns I started to recognize in my family that I wanted to overcome. I knew I should’ve seeked mental health services during those times I was struggling but I didn’t know where to start.
Mental health resources that helped me
One of the ways I began to seek help on my own was reading books on mental health. I also started following social media pages of therapists and medical professionals. I feel like the sigma of mental health awareness is slowly decreasing thanks to celebrities and athletes using their platforms to encourage it, which is awesome.
Some of the books that have helped along my journey are the following:
- It didn’t start with you: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn
- What happened to you?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D Perry, M.D., PH.D. and Oprah Winfrey
- The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown, Ph.D, MSW
- Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza
Reading books was my way of dipping my toe in getting help I desired. Eventually, I finally got the courage to seek in person counseling. My goal at the time was to address patterns I noticed in my life and in my family so that I could progress in my life in a healthy way.
What I looked for in a therapist
There is nothing wrong with seeking mental health services. You wouldn’t think twice if you woke up with ankle pain and decided to see a doctor to relieve the pain. Mental health matters just as much. It is correlated to our overall health.
When I finally felt ready to work with a therapist, I started by searching online. I looked for a female therapist of color located in my area. That was my preference. I was privileged to have health insurance through my employment so I looked for a counselor in network with my insurance. I hit roadblocks and did not find a Latina counselor as I hoped. Because I didn’t want to pay out of pocket, I decided to be open minded and chose a Caucasian female counselor.
I used the first few sessions to check in with myself to determine if I was comfortable enough to proceed working with this specific counselor. I have friends who told me they went through a couple therapists until they found the right one.
Here are a few tips when working with a therapist.
- Think about your reasons for working with a therapist. Have areas you want to address and goals you’d like to achieve through counseling.
- Don’t settle for your first and only counselor. Remember that you are in charge and it is up to you to choose who you want to work with.
- You don’t have to meet in person if you don’t feel comfortable. You can always ask if it’s possible to have virtual sessions. There are also services where you can even use a chat option or phone calls (“BetterHelp” is one of them)
- Be proud of yourself! It takes courage to seek mental health services. The healing road is definitely not be easy. Give yourself grace and love for doing the damn thing.
Final thoughts
Just like everything, mental health is an ongoing journey, not a destination. This was some of my personal journey with my mental health. I’m constantly working on checking in with myself, finding ways to feel balanced. I know there’s always new books to read if need be. I also still follow social media pages that keep me thinking about my mental health. And finally, I also know that seeking therapy is always an option too and there is no shame in that.
I try to be as open as possible with friends and family about my experiences. I’m at the point where I don’t even think about what my parents or others think about me (a.k.a “que va decir la gente”) because I am the priority in my life. I know this is for my greater good so I don’t care about others’ opinions. Hopefully this post resonated with you in one way or another. I also hope you feel empowered to take steps towards your mental health because you matter too!
Let’s work together!
- If you’re really ready to create the life you want
- If you want to increase your happiness and feel more confident in who you are
- If you want to trust yourself more and live on purpose
I can help you! Schedule your clarity call to work with me HERE.
Additional Resources:
- Mental health resources
- How to find a licensed counselor
- Celebrities opening up about mental health link and another one
- Athletes opening up about mental health link
- It Didn’t Start With You BOOK, What Happened to You BOOK, The Gifts of Imperfection BOOK, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself BOOK
- More book recommendations
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