Part 3/11:
Navigating Cultural and Familial Expectations
Robin opened up about her Vietnamese heritage, emphasizing that mental health issues and bipolar disorder are often stigmatized or misunderstood in Vietnamese culture. Her family’s history of bipolar, her father's drinking, and her mother's undiagnosed bipolar contributed to a traumatic childhood environment. Her parents' struggles with mental health created a sense of chaos that added to her internal turmoil.
She highlighted that in Vietnamese society, mental health isn't openly discussed, and her journey was hindered by cultural taboos. Despite this, she emphasized her self-awareness and resilience, acknowledging that she simply knew she was a woman despite societal expectations.