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Good Girl Syndrome: The Mental Health Toll of Always Being “Perfect”
Introduction: The Price of Being “Perfect” “I just wanted to be enough.” That’s what Priya, a 29-year-old South Asian woman from Toronto, said when asked why she spent years suppressing her emotions, chasing straight A’s, and saying “yes” even when her heart screamed “no.” For many South Asian daughters, perfection isn’t just encouraged — it’s demanded.Be respectful. Be successful. Be quiet. Be beautiful. Be dutiful.And above all, be good. But at what cost? Understanding Good Girl Syndrome Good Girl Syndrome isn’t officially in psychology textbooks — but its consequences are painfully real.It describes the internalized belief that a woman’s worth is tied to compliance, achievement, self-sacrifice, and reputation. Especially in…
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“Breaking the Silence: Why South Asian Women Struggle to Talk About Mental Health”
You would think that in a world as connected as ours, in a time where hashtags like #MentalHealthAwareness trend every other day, it would be easy for everyone to talk about what’s hurting inside. But for many South Asian women, it isn’t. It’s like being trapped in a glass box — you can see the world outside moving forward, embracing vulnerability, but your voice remains stuck in your throat. It’s not because they don’t feel pain. It’s not because they don’t want help. It’s because for generations, they’ve been taught that suffering in silence is strength. Growing up, many South Asian girls hear phrases like: There’s a deep, invisible script…
Daughters of Strength, Bosses by Choice