Breaking the Silence: Mental Health and Cultural Stigma

In many Hispanic households—and others like ours mental health isn’t something we talk about. It’s often brushed off as a weakness or something you can “think” your way out of. Because of this, many of us suffer in silence, hiding our struggles for fear of being judged. I know this all too well. When my brother was diagnosed with OCD, I wasn’t understanding. I was annoyed and impatient because, truthfully, I didn’t understand what he was going through. I thought, “Why can’t he just stop?” But looking back, I realize my reaction came from how we were raised, believing that mental health struggles weren’t real, just something “in your head.” Then, I was diagnosed with OCD myself. And I’ll be honest; it was hard. Hard to accept, hard to manage, and hard to open up about. When I told my mom, her response was, “I thought you were stronger than that.” I know many of you can relate to that feeling; when your pain is mistaken for weakness. But here’s the truth: there is nothing weak about living with OCD. Now, I see how much misinformation and stigma robbed us—robbed me—of understanding and compassion. I wish I had known more when my brother was struggling, but I know better now. And I share this because I want others to know better, too. If you’re afraid to reach out for help because of what people might say; do it anyway. Your health matters more than their opinions. Healing takes courage, and there is strength in asking for help. If you relate to this, I’d love to hear your story.

issphra 🫶🏻

Date posted: 25w

I’m also part of a Hispanic household where mental illness is often seen as a weakness. My mom frequently criticizes other women with depression, saying they’re not strong enough to push through. She tells me I have everything I need in life and no reason to have OCD. She doesn’t understand it—or me. I haven’t even shared my OCD diagnosis with the rest of my family. If my mom, the most understanding one, looks down on me for it, I can’t imagine how the others would react. It’s difficult, but I took the step to get help through NOCD. Even though my mom questions it every week—asking if there’s any point to therapy or why I even need it—I keep going. My sister says I have no reason to be “this messed up”, and she doesn’t even know the half of what I’m dealing with. To them, I’m lazy, selfish, grosera (for being quiet or stuck in my head), weak, and a bum. I love them so much, but the stigma is deep and painful. It really does take courage, just like you said.

AnonymityK

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 25w

I hear you, and I totally get how tough it is. Growing up in a household where mental illness is seen as a weakness is no joke. I’ve been called lazy too, just for needing to rest during the day after nights filled with intrusive thoughts, so I know how that feels. It’s hard when the people closest to you don’t understand, but I really admire that you’re still pushing through and getting the help you need. Therapy can feel isolating sometimes, but you’re doing something so important for yourself. Just know that their words come from lack of knowledge and not lack of love ❤️

WorryBrain

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 22w

What are you waiting for….

My struggles with OCD began in childhood, but it wasn’t until after giving birth to my first child at 30 that I finally received a diagnosis. For years, I suffered in silence with intense anxiety, insomnia, and intrusive thoughts, but because my compulsions were mostly mental—constant rumination, reassurance-seeking, and avoidance—I didn’t realize I had OCD. I experienced Pure O, where my mind would latch onto terrifying thoughts, convincing me something was deeply wrong with me. After my son was born, I was consumed by intrusive fears of harming him, even though I loved him more than anything. Seven weeks into postpartum, I hit a breaking point and ended up in the emergency room, where I was finally diagnosed. For the first time, everything made sense. I didn’t discover exposure and response prevention (ERP) until years later when my son developed Germ OCD during COVID. I went through the program myself first, and it completely changed my life. ERP helped me sit with my intrusive thoughts instead of reacting to them, breaking the cycle that had controlled me for so long. Life isn’t perfect, but it’s so much better than before. I can finally be present instead of trapped in my head. Now, I’m working on trusting myself more and handling challenges without fear of “losing control.” As I prepare to help my daughter start therapy, I feel empowered knowing I’m giving my children the support I never had. If you know you have OCD but haven’t started therapy yet, what’s holding you back?

"Pure" OCD

Ghost333

Date posted: 12w

Discovering OCD and Reclaiming My Life

In 2023, as I was finally getting sober from harder substances, I found myself in one of the scariest mental spaces I'd ever known. I was still smoking daily, my relationship was rocky, and one night—it all hit me. It felt like I had slipped into a video game. Nothing felt real… or maybe everything felt too real. The world around me was distorted. I had always dealt with anxiety, but this? This was something else. I was spiraling—drenched in guilt over everything I'd ever done, every person I thought I hurt, every wrong I tried to make right all at once. It was suffocating. At 23, I tried checking myself into a mental hospital—something I hadn’t done since I was 17. I was desperate to understand what was happening. My relationship took a hit as I spilled every ounce of guilt I carried to my partner, unable to stop the cycle. It wasn’t just anxiety. It was OCD. And while the diagnosis was terrifying at first, it was also reassuring. I finally had a name for the storm inside me. I wasn’t alone. People I admire—like Jenna Ortega—deal with this too. It’s not just me. It’s real, it’s hard, but it’s also something I can face. Since then, I’ve made big changes. I stopped smoking—realizing it only made the noise in my head louder. I started therapy. My partner didn’t understand at first, but as we both learned more about OCD together, we grew stronger. We’re now engaged, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been. But now it’s time to reconnect—with myself. I want to find the me before everything. The creative, passionate, connected me. I want to start streaming games again and hopefully rebuild the following I lost. I want to connect with people again—I don’t have many friends left, but I’m determined to find my people again. I’m also diving back into my art. Journaling. Sketching—even when I don’t like it. Because it’s the act of creating that heals, not just the end result. I won’t let OCD run my life. I will prevail.

summerloveru...

Date posted: 7w

my story

So... I few years ago, I did self-harm a few times, and then I got super into spirituality, and about a year ago, I remembered I did self-harm and ever since haven't been able to shake the guilt off... Constantly, every day, my mind would make me feel guilty about it and think about it all day. It's like my brain knew the thought that I could/ have cut myself scared me, so it kept bringing it up. My family had no idea I had ever done this, so my OCD told me I was a liar for not telling them about every day. I was afraid that they wouldn't love me anymore and send me to a mental hospital if I told them. About 2-3 months ago, I had gotten so fed up with having these thoughts every day and confessed to my mom what I had done, and her reaction was great. And I thought I'd never have thoughts about when I did self-harm again because I finally confessed. I was wrong. Even with people telling me that it's okay, I did that, I can't shake the guilt I had around this event, and even more so the fear/guilt around my own thoughts... My therapist and I talk about how the problem isn't the thoughts but what the OCD does to them. I try to create positive neural pathways, but that just makes me more stressed about it. There are things I'm supposed to tell myself when I feel negative, but I think I get that confused and tell myself those things every time I have thoughts about what I did. Which is feeding into a mental compulsion (replacing every "bad" thought with a "good" one. What works for me is (if I can) do nothing and have the thoughts... It's been hard to get better because I have had no idea what's been happening to me and felt like for the last year I was going crazy... I always thought OCD was cleaning stuff and physical compulsions . Everything that happened to me happened in my head. On the worst days when my OCD is really bad, every single time I was conscious and aware, I was thinking about the fact that I did self-harm. I would lie in bed all day trying to figure out my thoughts because I thought if I watched TV, I would be avoiding important things. I thought I had to figure out all my thoughts. I would ruminate, replay, and second-guess all. day. long. It was hard to do any of the things I loved; OCD took the joy out of it. It was hard to recognize it was OCD because I thought I had done something seriously bad and wrong, and that I must deserve these thoughts. I think the trick is that you feel like you must have positive thoughts, and the most distressing thing wasn't necessarily the fact that I did self-harm, but the fact that I couldn't stop thinking about it. I find the best thing you can do is just have all your thoughts in your head and try not to separate them from good and bad, if you can. It's nice to have people who understand!!!! More to come, about the journey. My favorite thing to say when I'm stuck is "that sly devil... OCD. Silly OCD is getting to me right now, but it won't last forever. That sneaky guy tricked me again." Love you!!!

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Breaking the Silence: Mental Health and Cultural Stigma

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