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I brought up therapy at a family dinner and my aunt from Japan was silent
Last weekend, I mentioned going to therapy during a family meal. My aunt, from Japan, did not say anything and looked very uncomfortable. My cousins, raised here, thought it was fine to share such things. How do you handle mental health talks across cultures?
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mason.charlie7mo ago
Mary Brown's "conversational grenade" is so real. I had a similar blowup trying to talk about stress with my mom's side of the family. What finally worked for me was linking it to something they already accepted, like physical health. I said something like, "My doctor said all my headaches were from tension, so this therapy is just exercises for my brain, like physio." Framing it that way made it click for them.
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the_dakota7mo ago
Mason, that physio comparison really hits home. Did you have to break it down step by step, or did they get it right away?
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mary_brown7mo ago
Ever felt like you dropped a conversational grenade at the table? My attempt to explain my anxiety to my own grandma once was met with a silence so thick you could spread it on toast, and a suggestion to just drink more water. Cultural gaps in that stuff can be a REAL minefield, even with the best intentions. I just try to read the room now and save the deep talks for people who get it.
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