Mental health through a woman’s lifespan, South Asian cultural taboos, how to talk about mental health and tips to get help

Hormone health is linked with mental health for many reasons. One of which is that hormone imbalance can also cause decreased levels of serotonin, the “feel good” hormone. Symptoms related to hormone imbalance such as weight, acne, unwanted hair growth and hair loss can contribute to feelings of low self-esteem, low self-confidence and over time these factors can contribute to anxiety and depression.

My anxiety came from constantly seeing my hair falling out and it got to the point where I did not even want to look at myself in my mirror. While I lived in NY for 4 winters, I struggled with seasonal depression. I battled against low self esteem and poor body image all my life until just a couple of years ago. During those times, I did not know who to turn to or how to even begin sharing how I felt. I wish talking about these things were normalized, that's why I am now using my platforms to break these stigmas and normalize these conversations. In this week’s episode I collaborated with Nidhi Patel a Licensed Master Social Worker and we discussed:

• Mental health through a woman’s lifespan

• South Asian cultural taboos

• how to talk about mental health to reduce stigma

• tips and resources to get help

Nidhi Patel is a Licensed Master Social Worker in Georgia. She currently serves as a Behavioral Health Specialist and is working towards her full clinical licensure. She does individual counseling and facilitates groups, trainings, and workshops in the community addressing a variety of mental health topics. Nidhi has been in the mental health field for 4+ years now with experience working in community mental health, nonprofit agencies, student support services in higher education, and has served as an associate clinician/social worker at a private practice. Nidhi is passionate about reducing the stigma around mental health especially in minority communities and hopes to continue advocating, increasing mental health literacy, and providing culturally competent care.

Connect with Nidhi on her Instagram page

or email: nidhipatelmsw@gmail.com

Resources referenced in the episode:

Mental Health First Aid Use Person-First Language to Reduce Stigma

National Alliance on Mental Illness Tips for Talking about Mental Health

Reminder: its okay to get support for your mental health, its okay to take medications and its okay to go to therapy. If you are not sure where to get started, reach out to me or Nidhi and we are happy to guide you in the right direction!

Connect with your host Dr. Ami Patel, send a DM and introduce yourself via Instagram @hormones.holistic.pharmacist

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