Krishna Vora Therapy

In the realm of mental health, understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by different cultural communities is crucial. South Asian communities, with their rich diversity and heritage, often grapple with distinctive issues that can have a profound impact on mental well-being. One such issue is academic trauma, a phenomenon that can affect individuals’ psychological and emotional states, particularly among South Asian students. In this blog, we take a look at academic trauma.

Academic trauma is not an official diagnosis, but can help put in words what many of us have experienced, while going through an extremely invalidating educational system. If you are from any of the South Asian countries, or grown up in a South Asian household, you have likely experienced a lot of academic pressure growing up. It might have been worse for you if you were neurodivergent, and undiagnosed and being tested on skills that you struggled with for a good 15-20 years of your life. The skills tested, while important, are a mere fraction of skills you do need to survive in the real world, putting you at a constant disadvantage in a system designed to keep you feeling ‘not good enough’ no matter how hard you try. That feeling of ‘not being good enough’ and constantly working to prove yourself can carry well into adulthood in your workplace and your relationships. If you add an additional layer of gender identity, sexual orientation, minority status, lack of access to good quality education or tutoring services, you will likely have dealt with far more insults to your self-esteem that affected your ability to advocate, ask for accommodation, share your ideas or ask for a raise.

Academic trauma can often lead to a variety of symptoms such as chronic stress, anxiety, feelings of inadequacy, pressure to be successful so you can provide financial support to your family, save face in the community, because there is nothing worse than looking like a failure and having your chance at success, marriage and overall happiness being thwarted.

Understanding academic trauma within South Asian communities requires an appreciation of cultural nuances. The collectivist nature of South Asian societies can amplify the weight of academic expectations, as individual success is often seen as a reflection of the entire family. This collective identity can lead to an increased fear of failure and a sense of letting down not only oneself but also one’s entire community.

Academic trauma’s manifestations can be diverse, ranging from constant worry about grades to perfectionism that hampers overall well-being. Procrastination, burnout, imposter syndrome, and a compromised sense of self-worth are also common outcomes. Through psychotherapy, you can focus on recognizing these signs and receive effective support.

Addressing academic trauma starts with creating a safe space for South Asian students to share their experiences. Breaking the silence around mental health challenges is paramount, as cultural stigma often inhibits open discussions. Creating an opportunity to discuss study skills or stress related to education, advocating for changes, understanding how to support your wellbeing while navigating academics both in your country of origin and the country you move to for higher education is very important.

I wish for a future where we can shift the perspective of education and stop defining students by the grades they receive and learn to identify gaps in education and advocate for change and individualized support. I understand from a logistical perspective that it is harder to do it in schools when the student to teacher ratio is likely 40:1. But perhaps we can start with small steps that include avoiding shaming and guilting students for asking for more support, or taking longer than their peers to learn something. We can also externalize some of these problems as gaps in educational systems and lack of resources that don’t allow for differentiating curriculum, instead of blaming students for not trying hard enough, being lazy or demotivated.
Note: I understand that social issues such as poverty, lack of housing, food insecurity, physical safety, are a much larger priority for many South Asian communities, (more on that later). For now, I have written this from the perspective of an average middle-class South Asian family.

If this sounds familiar and you are looking for a psychotherapist to unpack and work through academic trauma, you can reach out to me by writing to me at krishnavoratherapy@gmail.com or using the contact page.