May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental health is stigmatized in the Asian American Pacific Islander community.

With the pandemic and asian hate crimes, it is important to increase mental health awareness to improve overall wellness and community. Therapy, psychotherapy, or counseling can make a huge difference in how people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, loss, or major life changes. 

In the Asian American Pacific Islander community, there appears to be a sense of guilt, shame and obligation to the family and community. Trying to be successful and have high achievements is a struggle.  The stress and motivation of being successful has its pros and cons. There is a sense of direction and wanting to achieve goals.  The cons are not truly exploring who you are and what you truly enjoy doing. I hear a lot about how Asian Americans want to perform well or be successful so their parents will be proud.  It's understandable because the first generation of Asians Pacific Islanders who immigrated to America had limited or no resources. They had to rebuild their life in a new country and sacrificed so much to give the next generation opportunities and work to achieve the American dream. With the recent Asian hate acts, it's a reminder how the struggle was difficult and scary. There is a desire or sense of obligation to pay it forward to parents who sacrificed so much for them.  The anxiety and pressure can run high. There is fear of failure and disappointment.  The constant pressure can create burn out and a lost sense of self. Dealing with anxious and fearful thoughts alone is difficult.  Sharing the experience is so important.  The fear of judgement is another reason why people do not want to seek help or therapy.

Don’t worry, everyone has some sense of fear and anxiety.  When it gets too difficult to manage, seeking out help is a strength. Strength to admit you are not perfect and willingness to make changes in your life. Remember you do have choices and are not stuck all the time. As time goes by mental health awareness is becoming normalized. Really understanding how you are feeling can be very empowering.  It allows space for vulnerability, self compassion, self love, and true self care.

My personal perspective as an Asian American Therapist

Even with all the past pains and wounds, I am grateful for my parents and grandma.  When I was young, I didn’t know why they wanted to come to America and be an outsider. They came here for a better opportunity and to give me a chance to be educated and have a successful career as a woman.  
Trying to adjust to both Korean and American culture has its challenges, but acceptance of both cultures is a constant work in progress. It's weird that Korean wave (Hallyu) is a recent popular phenomenon.  There definitely wasn’t any Korean wave when I was young. I remember feeling embarrassed and teased for being different. Also feeling uncomfortable to share my joy listening to Korean music and shows instead of being a typical American kid. It's so refreshing to see Korean entertainment such as Kpop, BTS, K dramas, and Korean movies such as Minari and Parasite are slowly becoming accepted into today’s American society. 

Free Consultation with Anxiety Therapist Orange County

I hope this blog helps you have a different perspective of mental health awareness and positive image of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage.  If you or someone close to you is feeling anxious and wants to learn more about therapy or counseling, call Jane Pearl Lee, Anxiety therapist in Tustin, Orange County, CA at (949)771-4461 for a free 15 minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to help. If you are interested in Asian American Psychology please check out my specialty page. Also, check out my other blogs about being Asian American which are about feeling triggered, shame and guilt, why BTS is so popular, and dealing with Asian hate. 

If you are looking for an anxiety therapist in Orange County, you can read more about how I can help on my website. My specialties include career driven professionals, caregiver stress, Asian American psychology, anxious teens, and social anxiety.