This article discusses eating disorders and may be triggering for some readers. The Canadian Mental Health Association Crisis Line can be reached at 1-833-456-4566.
The most significant obstacle in my path to recovery wasn’t just accessing treatment—it was breaking through cultural silence and raising my voice against generations of unwavering customs.
As a first-generation Canadian born to Indian immigrant parents, my experience with anorexia nervosa revealed a complex intersection between mental health treatment and cultural barriers. While balancing two distinct cultural identities presented its own challenges, it was the deeply rooted stigma surrounding mental health in immigrant communities that proved most devastating to my recovery.