Have you ever found the courage to share your mental health struggles with a parent or grandparent, only to hear the reply, “There’s nothing wrong with you”?
Maybe you’ve noticed that they seem to live with some of the same experiences you’re describing. Maybe they have struggled with anxiety, depression, trauma, overwhelm, or simply getting through difficult seasons of life—but never had the language or support to talk about it.
You are not alone.
Every generation—and every culture—approaches mental health differently. Some generations were taught to keep struggles private, push through hardship, or simply accept emotional pain as part of life. Others have grown up with greater access to mental health education, therapy, and language for experiences that previous generations may never have had words for.
This disconnect can be incredibly frustrating.
For younger generations, being dismissed or not believed can feel deeply painful, especially when you are already struggling to understand what is happening and searching for ways to heal.
For older generations, however, the conversation may look very different. They may genuinely see what you’re experiencing as a normal part of life—something you simply have to endure. They may have spent decades surviving difficult circumstances without therapy, mental health resources, or permission to talk openly about their emotions.
Neither perspective makes your experience less real.
Also, change is possible. And healing can begin with you.
Therapy can help us to develop tools for navigating daily struggles and hardships. Therapy can also help us understand what we can—and cannot—change about our families.
And sometimes, healing is simply about healing yourself.
