Remember when talking about mental health was totally off limits? My dad never said a word about his anxiety until I was 30.

I grew up in a small town in Iowa where nobody talked about seeing a therapist. My dad worked construction for 25 years and I never once heard him mention stress or depression. Then around 2018 my younger sister started seeing a counselor for panic attacks and suddenly my dad opened up about his own anxiety he'd had since his 20s. It took her literally two years to get him to admit he'd been struggling that whole time. Now I'm pretty open with my own kids about taking care of your headspace, which feels weird compared to how I was raised. Anyone else have family members who completely flipped once the taboo started fading?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettyk5313d ago

Did your dad also start fixing every possible thing in the house while refusing to talk about feelings? My dad got really into refinishing the basement around the same time my sister started therapy, and I swear he was trying to hammer his anxiety into the drywall. I still catch myself almost saying "I'm fine" when my son asks how I'm doing, and then I have to remember it's okay to just say "kinda stressed today." Your mileage may vary, but it's definitely a weird shift for those of us raised in the "keep it in the toolbox" generation.

amy_foster5613d ago

My dad just liked building stuff, I don't think it's that deep.