by winstonian on Saturday, April 11th, 2009 | Health, Life

Asians often play silly games to tell those around them that neither they nor anyone in their family has a mental illness. They will say it’s a “health problem,” one that is more physical than mental. They will treat the problem with herbs instead of psychiatric drugs. It’s only when life turns violent and potentially fatal that parents and patients learn that they can’t solve the problems of mental illness on their own. It’s when they’re at the end of their proverbial rope.

That’s no more true than in the case of David Chu, a real Asian with a fictitious name, for the sake of privacy. His parents treated him with herbs, largely because mental illness is not recognized as a medical problem in Asian cultures, according to a University of Pennsylvania study which illustrated the stigma many Asians face. Chu had it rough, because he had to go endure numerous hospitalizations before he awoke to the fact that he had a problem that could not be solved by traditional Chinese mean, if he was in fact, Chinese.

The odd thing is that programs like the one Chu eventually checked into have been around for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, it’s only after hard trials that people like Chu and his parents put their faith and trust in psychiatrists and medication. Today Chu is no longer a frequent visitor of a mental patient, but holds a job and is back on track. Schizophrenia and bipolar illness are chronic illnesses that demand long-term care.

Chu last year said, “My parents still have a hard time accepting my illness, but have a greater understanding as a result of my involvement in the Asian Behavioral Health program. Right now, my mom is more open and understanding than my dad, but I hope that will change over time.”

Tags: Asian Behavioral Health, Asian Behavioral Health program, bipolar, herb, how to cure medical illness, medical problems, mental illness, psychiatric drugs, Schizophrenia