Finding Mental Health Support After Leaving My Hasidic Community
This upbringing ultimately took a serious toll on my mental health and pushed me to search for a community of my own.
This upbringing ultimately took a serious toll on my mental health and pushed me to search for a community of my own.
As a mental health advocate and member of this community, I want to see South Asian communities break the stigma around mental health and support each other in promoting mental well-being.
I grew up in an inner-city community in San Diego, California, called “Southeast.” This area has always been known for crime, drugs and — most notably — gangs. Despite my family’s well-intentioned efforts to keep me away from gangs, the gang culture still pulled me in.
Researchers from the University of California Irvine surveyed over 5,500 adults representative of the U.S. population during the spring of 2020 and later in the fall of 2020 about their experiences with mental health, COVID-19, isolation, loneliness, and distress. Researchers identified exposure to the COVID-19 virus, knowing someone who passed from COVID-19, and consuming hours of media related to COVID-19 as risk factors for experiencing psychological distress and loneliness. State-level mitigation practices, such as stay-at-home orders and public information campaigns, did not appear to affect mental health outcomes. The findings can help inform future public health responses designed to prioritize limiting loss of life, exposure to disease, and psychological distress. To learn more, see the study in Health Psychology.
Letter to Senator Schumer, expressing disappointment that S.1409, the Kids Online Safety Act, will not be coming up for a floor vote before the end of year and urging for a vote when Congress is back in session in January.
Letter expressing support for the DHS Suicide Prevention and Resiliency for Law Enforcement Act (H.R. 2577/S. 1137), which would enable the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide officers and agents with mental health resources, reduce stigma, and help prevent suicide.
Regulatory comment to the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) on Processes for Assessing Compliance with Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Regulatory comment to the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) on Processes for Assessing Compliance with Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Regulatory comment to the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) on Processes for Assessing Compliance with Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Regulatory comment to the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) on Processes for Assessing Compliance with Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
NAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264,
text “NAMI” to 62640, or email. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).