Cultural Understandings of Mental Health: The Risk of Overlooking Significant Issues
When it comes to mental health, our cultural backgrounds and beliefs play a significant role in how we interpret and respond to our own experiences and those of our loved ones. The norms we adopt influence collective acceptance of behaviors, and determine which ones are considered problematic. While these perspectives can provide valuable context, they can also lead to misunderstandings or oversights, preventing us from recognizing and addressing serious mental health conditions.
The Influence of Cultural Understandings
Cultural beliefs shape how we view our behaviors and those of our loved ones. Sometimes, these perspectives can lead us to misinterpret, dismiss, or rationalize behaviors that might actually be signs of underlying mental health conditions. This can mean that we, or those we care about, don’t receive the support and care needed to manage these challenges effectively. Recognizing the role of our cultural understandings in our mental health journey can be a compassionate step toward healing.
Examples of Overlooked Mental Health Issues
Volatile, Dramatic, or Conflictual Personalities: Someone who frequently exhibits dramatic, volatile, or conflict-driven behavior might be seen as simply having a strong or challenging personality. However, these traits could be indicative of bipolar disorder or other mood-related conditions that require attention.
Mood Swings Seen as Personality Quirks
Common View: Frequent mood changes might be seen as a natural part of someone's personality—perhaps they're just "temperamental" or "emotional."
What Might Be Overlooked: These mood swings could be symptoms of an undiagnosed mood disorder, such as borderline personality disorder or even bipolar disorder. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, the individual may continue to struggle, potentially leading to more severe consequences.
Withdrawal Seen as a Preference for Solitude
Common View: A family member who is withdrawn and distant might be viewed as someone who simply prefers to be alone or is very independent.
What Might Be Overlooked: This behavior could actually be a sign of depression or neurodivergence, such as autism, where social withdrawal may be a coping mechanism. Without inquiring more deeply, the individual might not receive the emotional support or professional help they need.
Quietness as Shyness or Introversion
Common View: A child who is quiet and shy might be seen as simply introverted or well-behaved. This can also applty to the friend who keeps to themselves, is a homebody or identifies as an introvert.
What Might Be Overlooked: This child could be experiencing significant anxiety that prevents them from fully engaging with their environment. Addtionally, individuals with anxiety, or neurodivergence sometimes have difficulties interacting in social settings, and keeping distance feels more natural and comfortable. Without further context, if these are mental health issues left unaddressed, these issues could persist and affect their ability to function socially and academically.
Anger as Cultural Expression
Common View: Frequent expressions of anger might be considered normal in some cultural contexts, especially in high-stress environments.
What Might Be Overlooked: Recurrent anger or irritability could be a sign of an underlying mental health issue, such as anxiety, depression, unresolved trauma, or a condition like borderline personality disorder. Without understanding the root cause, the person may not receive the appropriate care to manage their emotions.
Overachieving as a Sign of Success
Common View: Someone who is constantly overworking or striving for perfection might be seen as highly motivated or driven by success.
What Might Be Overlooked: This behavior could be a sign of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, or a manifestation of neurodivergence, where the person feels compelled to achieve to avoid failure or criticism. This can lead to burnout and emotional exhaustion if not addressed.
Spiritual Experiences as Signs of Mental Disturbance
Common View: In some cases, deeply spiritual experiences or practices might be dismissed as eccentric or even indicative of mental disturbance.
What Might Be Overlooked: For some, these experiences are essential aspects of their identity and coping mechanisms. They may provide comfort and meaning, and dismissing them can overlook their importance to the person’s mental and emotional well-being.
These are just some of the manifestations I’ve come across in my research and work as a therapist. It’s important to remember that these behaviors and character traits do not automatically indicate a clinical diagnosis—in many cases, they may simply be attributes of a person's personality. However, it’s also valuable to ask yourself: out of what protective mechanisms and learned ways of functioning do these characteristics emerge? Reflecting on this can provide insight into the deeper roots of our behaviors.
Many marginalized and minority communities have endured deep-seated trauma resulting from generations of discrimination, oppression, and systemic exclusion. These ongoing impacts, experienced across lifetimes and passed down through generations, often leave residual traumas that influence how we understand and regulate our moods, emotions, thoughts, and overall nervous system. Socially, these traumas can manifest in behaviors like those described earlier. It’s important to recognize that some behaviors seen as cultural "norms" may, in fact, be rooted in long-standing trauma, passed down through generations of people who have been deeply hurt. With this in mind, let’s approach each other with kindness and understanding, while also being willing to address behaviors that continue to create distance, disconnection, or significant challenges in daily life.
Important disclaimer: Please do not use the information in this post to try and diagnose the people around you. The intention here is to motivate us all to further investigate our behaviors, understand what motivates them, consider how we manage them, and recognize the ways they impact our lives. If you are concerned about your own presentation of some of these traits, contact us at TCC for an appointment to begin exploring and understanding these aspects of yourself in a supportive and professional environment.
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