What Happens When Depression and Cultural Expectations Collide?

Depression doesn’t discriminate. It can impact every race, gender, and age. It also tends to affect people differently, and there are a variety of factors that can play into things like the severity of your depression and the way your symptoms manifest themselves. 

One of those factors is your cultural background. Cultural expectations can affect nearly every aspect of depression, from the way you feel about mental health, in general, to the treatment you might seek out. 

Let’s take a closer look at what happens when depression and cultural expectations collide and what you can do to prioritize your mental well-being above all else. 

Defining Depression

The first area of collision between cultural expectations and depression is how the condition is defined. Some cultures might not consider mental health issues to be all that valid. They might only look at the physical issues associated with depression, which often include things like aches and pains and digestive issues. 

Other cultures might try to minimize mental health issues completely. They might suggest that a condition like depression would make you appear weak — this can be especially problematic for men of certain ethnicities and backgrounds. 

With that in mind, it’s essential for you to have a clear personal understanding of what depression is and what it looks like. At its very core, depression is a prolonged feeling of sadness. It can cause you to feel overwhelmed, fatigued, hopeless, and helpless. You’re likely to experience changes in your eating and sleeping habits, and you might withdraw from the people and things you typically love. 

Social Factors

Where you live can also impact how you view depression and how it’s treated. Even in the United States, certain areas and people of specific cultural backgrounds might not have access to treatment as easily as others. 

Some cultures might also have different treatment methods. For example, many Eastern cultures focus on traditional forms of medicine, including spiritual healing, rather than relying on Western methods of mental health help. 

Other cultures might be too quick to medicate you for showing symptoms of depression. Rather than encouraging tried and true treatment options, they look at mental health conditions as things that need to be “eliminated” as quickly as possible, so you might not end up getting the right kind of help. 

Your cultural expectations can prevent you from getting the help you need in various ways. However, again, it’s essential to do what’s best for you personally. 

What Can You Do?

No matter your cultural background, your overall well-being needs to come first in your life. If you feel like you’re struggling with symptoms of depression, don’t hesitate to reach out for the help you deserve. 

Therapy is often the best way to manage depression. A therapist can help you determine where it stems from and what might trigger it. They can also help you develop effective strategies for managing your symptoms.

Self-care is also an important part of managing your depression. If your cultural background includes religious practices, lean into your faith to find peace and de-stress. Additionally, take care of yourself every day. Try meditation to reduce stress. Practice mindfulness. Write in a journal. Go for a jog. Simple self-care practices can go a long way in boosting your mental health and making it easier to fight back against depression.

Most importantly, don’t hesitate to challenge any lingering stigma that might be mislabeling mental health issues in your culture. Those outdated ideas and stereotypes will never go away if the next generation doesn’t step up and break them. If you’re interested in learning more or you’re ready to set up an appointment for depression treatment, contact me today.