Nica-Emmanuel Delgado
Nica-Emmanuel Delgado, who uses they/them pronouns, is a sophomore anthropology major with a focus in cultural anthropology and minor in world literature, who attended middle school and high school in Lima, Ohio. They also serve as vice president of the Spanish and Latine Student Association. With little representation for Latinos in the mental health space, they felt it was important to speak up and participate in the campaign.
As I was growing up, my parents went through a long divorce and I was moved across the state. I showed very concerning symptoms of depression and anxiety, and I was very suicidal throughout middle school. So, my dad and my mom put me in therapy.
I don鈥檛 speak on behalf of all Latino families, but someone in my family, a wonderful person whom I spent a lot of time with growing up, doesn鈥檛 believe that things like depression, anxiety or ADHD [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder] are real. I鈥檝e heard similar stories from friends of mine who also identify as Latino: that their parents aren鈥檛 very understanding, or their grandparents are very judgmental.
It鈥檚 definitely a difficult topic to discuss with previous generations, but it鈥檚 also difficult to discuss in the open, because there鈥檚 not a lot of representation in the media for Latinos in general, but also of us speaking openly about our mental health and our well-being.
It鈥檚 difficult to share how you are feeling when the people you鈥檙e around the most don鈥檛 believe that what you鈥檙e experiencing is a real thing. It鈥檚 a challenge to overcome. But I鈥檓 proud to say that I have overcome it.
I was recommended to a therapist by my guidance counselor at school, and I鈥檝e been seeing her for the better part of seven or eight years. It鈥檚 been great. She鈥檚 a regular part of my life; I see her once a month. Especially with people my age, it鈥檚 less like, 鈥淥h, you鈥檙e going to therapy, that鈥檚 crazy,鈥 and more like, 鈥淥kay, good for you, not for me.鈥
I will say if you鈥檙e looking for a therapist, obviously get recommendations. But I would stress the importance of in-person therapy appointments. I鈥檝e done a couple Zoom appointments and they don鈥檛 feel as substantial to me, mostly because there are more distractions. And it leaves kind of an unsettling feeling when you remember, 鈥淥h, I got all those feelings out while I was in my living room.鈥
But I want therapy to be an available and open option for everybody. Because a lot of people still have some of their own personal feelings towards how they would be seen if they were attending therapy. It鈥檚 2023. We鈥檝e been through a pandemic, and the economy is crashing, and the world is getting scary. I think having a professional in a neutral space, who can help guide you through your anxieties or whatever you鈥檙e feeling, I think that鈥檚 an important resource to be able to have.