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Feeling guilt/shame in taking therapy when dad told me that I can rely on him instead

randomperson
Community Member

Hi, I’m an international student and I’m currently seeing a psychologist. My Taiwanese dad says that we shouldn’t rely on meds and psychologists, since it’s mostly placebo and we are the only ones who can solve the issues we have w/in ourselves (don’t need other ppl telling us what to do). He asked me to confide in him instead, and I do feel better after doing this. Please note that I don’t want to generalise the Taiwanese culture.

The thing is, the psychologist has helped me in managing existential crisis and other things I don’t tell my parents about. Also, hw extension is useful, tho I feel like I’m taking advantage of it. I did tell him about my dad’s views, and he said that if I find it helpful, then I can continue (ergo, my choice). I do agree, yet I also feel a bit guilty. Maybe I don’t need to rely/burden ‘other’ people if I can just talk w/ my dad. Maybe I don’t need to uselessly spend money. Maybe things would be easier & resolved if I just become brave enough to tell my parents about my issues directly instead of confiding w/ the psychologist first. Maybe I don’t have to hide anything from my dad. I also kind of agree w/ my dad’s reasoning (for my situation).

However, I don’t know how I can tell my parents about my existential crisis, etc. I’m scared of their reactions. I also think I’m quite selfish; most of the stress is from w/in e.g. procrastination, laziness, self-loathing. They might tell me to be ‘more open-minded’, not meanly, but I would feel very irritated. I’m sure I’m just overthinking tho.

I sometimes think that maybe it’s all in my head. I’m not diagnosed w/ anything. Maybe I’m just an attention-seeker who wants help from ‘other’ people (e.g. lifeline, beyondblue, psychologist) even tho I can solve my problems on my own.

A counsellor told me that the psychologist could help me find a better way to talk w/ my dad about my issues. I don’t think I’m ready, but I wonder if I should just get it over with. I’m feeling overwhelmed w/ uni rn and very unmotivated to the point where I don’t know what I’m doing with my life (uni -> job kind of mindset). And honestly, it’s not like I’m doing much about it. I still procrastinate, I don’t go thru modules in cci, etc.

I don’t exactly know what I want to do w/ this, whether it’s just ranting or wanting advice on how to deal w/ the guilt from hiding this from my dad? It’s just something that I think about sometimes. Nonetheless, I would be thankful if someone could give me tips on this?

14 Replies 14

I am sorry that you are overwhelmed with your situation. You are in a complicated circumstance . I have not had your experience, but I hope you can find support. I wish you the best.

Mk2692
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi randomperson,

It sounds like you are going through a tough situation with your father. I can see that you understand his point of view and you know it might be due to your cultural background. Your father is providing you advice on the situation according to his culture and the way he reacts in situations when going through tough times. I had a similar situation with my father, he sometimes does not accept mental health issues and thinks that it may be something that can be overcome by doing things like finding a job, going out or buying new things. However, I found the best way to handle this situation is to respect other people's opinions and do what is best for you. You can respect your father's opinion about seeking help and know that it is coming from a place of love, but also you can choose to do things differently. If you are finding speaking to a counsellor at university or using the services from beyond blue helpful, then you should definitely continue to use them. This is a way for you to help yourself with your current situation and it does not mean that you are selfish for seeking help. You can definitely speak to your family about your mental health problems when you are ready, they might surprise you and provide you with the support you need. Always remember that you are worthy of asking for help and it's the best way to learn and help yourself during tough times, we all need help and people around us to help us through what we go through. Hope this helps.

I'll try your advice. Thank you so much.

Thank you! I'll keep this in mind

Thank you very much for your advice and reassurances.