Mental health is not a Western concept. It is not a weakness, not a shameful indulgence, and not something that only “other people” need. And yet, in too many South Asian households, women are taught to dismiss their inner worlds — to smile, to serve, and to suppress. According to a 2022 Mental Health America report, only 10% of South Asian women seek professional help for mental illness, despite reporting high levels of anxiety, depression, and intergenerational trauma. Even more alarming is that 60% have never even spoken to a family member about their mental health. The silence is cultural. But the silence is also fatal. The burden of being…