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“Behind the Glamour: How South Asian TV Shows Glamourize Stress and Mental Health Struggles of Women”
An Open Letter to the South Asian Entertainment Industry Dear Producers, Writers, and Creators of South Asian Television, We need to talk. Specifically, about the way you frame women’s emotional suffering. Because somewhere between the perfectly winged eyeliner, silk sarees in hospital corridors, and melancholic soundtracks playing over breakdowns in slow motion—you forgot that mental health isn’t glamorous. And yet, that’s exactly what many South Asian TV shows have done: turned stress, anxiety, and emotional trauma into an aesthetic. Women sobbing in chiffon, breaking down while looking like they walked off a magazine cover—yes, it’s visually striking. But it’s also dangerously misleading. Because while you’re zooming in on a tear…
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“What Happens When Media Portrays Mental Health Issues as ‘Normal’ for South Asian Women?”
Introduction:Mental health struggles are universal, yet in South Asian communities, they have often been dismissed, minimized, or misunderstood. Over the years, media portrayals of mental health issues in South Asian women have played a significant role in either reinforcing or challenging these cultural taboos. However, when mental health is portrayed as “normal” or as something that South Asian women are simply expected to endure, it raises concerns about how these issues are perceived and handled within the community. While these portrayals can make mental health issues more relatable, they also risk normalizing distress and dismissing the need for intervention or healing. 1. The “Normalizing” of Mental Health Struggles in Media:Media…
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“Breaking the Silence: Why South Asian Women Should Talk About Their Mental Health”
Picture Credits: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0d/87/95/0d87951066cc820a0cb1fe0bfa4dd2a5.jpg In many South Asian cultures, mental health has been a topic too uncomfortable to discuss openly. The stigma surrounding mental health issues often leads to silence, isolation, and unnecessary suffering. For South Asian women, this silence can be especially deafening, as cultural expectations and family pressures amplify their struggles. However, it’s time to break the silence and begin talking openly about mental health. This conversation is not only important for individual well-being but also for creating a more compassionate and understanding community. 1. The Cultural Stigma Around Mental Health:Mental health struggles are often viewed as a sign of weakness or as something shameful in many South Asian…
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“Breaking the Silence: Why South Asian Women Should Talk About Their Mental Health”
What will people say if they find out?”“We all go through hard times — just be strong.”“Mental health is a Western concept.” For generations, South Asian women have been taught to carry the weight of the world — silently. Whether it’s emotional burnout, anxiety, trauma, or depression, they are expected to push through, smile, and serve.But silence has a cost.And for many South Asian women, that cost is their mental well-being. The Culture of Silence Mental health is often a taboo topic in South Asian communities. Women, especially, are expected to: From a young age, they are told:“Don’t make a scene.”“Other people have it worse.”“Our mothers went through more without…
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Mental Health Red Flags We Were Taught to Ignore
🧱 “It’s Just Stress.” In many South Asian households, the early signs of mental health issues are brushed aside — labeled as laziness, moodiness, or overthinking. What the West might call symptoms, we were taught to ignore, endure, or spiritualize away. 🚩 The Red Flags We Missed Growing up, we weren’t taught how to recognize mental distress — especially when it came in quiet, insidious forms. Here are just a few red flags many of us were told not to worry about: 🚨 Red Flag 🙅🏽♀️ How It Was Dismissed Withdrawing from social activities “She’s just being dramatic.” Sleeping too much or too little “Lazy. Get up and be productive.”…
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South Asian Mental Health, Depression, Women of Color, Stigma, Hidden Struggles, Mental Health Awareness, Cultural Expectations
💬 “You don’t look depressed.” A phrase that countless South Asian women have heard — and internalized. In a culture that prides itself on strength, sacrifice, and the appearance of perfection, the pain beneath the surface often goes unseen, unheard, and unspoken. 🎭 The Mask of the “Good Daughter” From a young age, South Asian women are taught to suppress discomfort and prioritize others. We are raised to be obedient daughters, loyal wives, and nurturing mothers — roles that rarely leave room for emotional vulnerability. We smile through breakdowns. We host gatherings while battling anxiety. We perform perfection, even when we’re unraveling inside. Depression doesn’t “look” a certain way —…
Daughters of Strength, Bosses by Choice