988 is live: let’s make sure Spanish speakers know too
In July, the 988 the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline went live nationwide. This critical number will make mental health and crisis support much more accessible to anyone who needs it.
My Mental Health Journey: Ponte Las Pilas
There’s a saying in Spanish that goes “ponte las pilas,” literally meaning “put the batteries in. I heard this phrase from my dad all the time growing up and even now as an adult. If you heard someone say “put the batteries in” in English, you’d probably think about getting a remote control or a toy car, but dad was actually telling us to “put the batteries in” to ourselves.
My Mental Health Journey: First Generation
South Asian culture often gives precedence to physical health, sometimes at the expense of mental health needs. You might hear, “If you are physically healthy, you’re fine.” If someone expresses being anything less than happy or content (for whatever reason), the response is often, “you have a loving family, you don’t have to worry about where your next meal comes from, you have a roof over your head, why are you so dissatisfied?”