Episode 1
Hassaan Khan
A student therapist on the social anxiety no one named out loud, the double stigma of being South Asian and male, and why he's breaking the silence before it reaches the next generation.
In their words
Pull quotes
"It's just something that gets swept under the rug. Even if it does get brought up, it just gets swept under the rug so that it's an awkward conversation that no one wants to have."
"There's so much pressure to not tell people your problems because you have to appear strong. I try to be as open as possible about my own experiences, hoping it's going to cause a ripple effect."
Watch the episode
What this one is about
What this episode is about
Hassaan Khan, a South Asian student therapist and founder of the Instagram page Into His Mind, talks with host Ashish about growing up with social anxiety and depression that never got named out loud in his family, and how that shaped his path into counseling.
The conversation covers the specific double stigma of being South Asian and male, the self-doubt and compassion fatigue that come with training to help other people, and why so many people in their 20s reach for alcohol, drugs, or sleep meds instead of dealing with the underlying problem. It closes on social media as both a source of validation and a source of harm, and on breaking intergenerational silence before it reaches the next generation of kids.
Good listen for anyone from an immigrant or South Asian family who's never said the words out loud, anyone in a helping profession quietly burning out, or anyone using a substance or a scroll to avoid a feeling.
Key moments
Listen for the part where…
- you're scared of what people will think if you go to therapy▸ 1:03
- you brought it up with your family once and it never got mentioned again▸ 2:06
- you doubt you can undo stigma that's been passed down for generations▸ 5:43
- your family only measures success in grades and money▸ 6:15
- you're a perfectionist, terrified of not being good enough to help people▸ 7:50
- imposter syndrome starting something new, wondering if you actually belong▸ 13:38
- you're worried you don't have enough empathy left to give▸ 14:09
- your friends don't really get what you're going through, but talking still helps▸ 14:40
- you need something physical to get out of your own head▸ 15:11
- you feel guilty for resting or sleeping in▸ 15:42
Show all 28 moments
- you're a South Asian man and you're not allowed to look weak▸ 16:43
- you're scared people will look at you differently if you open up▸ 17:14
- relatives back home never had a space to talk about this▸ 17:44
- you want results right now and you're impatient with the process▸ 19:17
- you're leaning on alcohol, drugs, or sleep meds to get through your 20s▸ 20:51
- you know you're using something as a band-aid instead of fixing the real problem▸ 21:56
- you're stuck in a loop where relying on substances makes you worse at coping▸ 22:29
- you think therapy is only for people with a "real" problem▸ 23:30
- you can't afford therapy and don't know what else to do▸ 24:02
- you're too burnt out to even go for a walk or work out▸ 25:04
- you want to see this struggle reflected somewhere, not just talked about in the abstract▸ 26:40
- hateful comments online are getting to you▸ 28:13
- you feel less alone after seeing someone else post about the same struggle▸ 29:16
- you know you're spending too much time scrolling instead of talking to real people▸ 29:48
- you set a screen time limit and bypass it anyway▸ 30:19
- you wish someone had taught you this before high school▸ 34:28
- you don't know how to talk to a young kid about sadness without overwhelming them▸ 35:30
- your family keeps passing down the same messages they grew up with▸ 37:33