Our resources are curated and designed in partnership with OnTrack participants, their families, and team members. Use the filters to select specific topics or formats, or scroll through our library below.

My story: Shifting cultural norms (Jimena)

Resources for families & friendsResources for teens & young adults

Transcript

Jimena (Sheinn's mother): In my Spanish culture, we don't know about this, the mental illness. We don't know psychosis.

Sheinn (Jimena's daughter): I felt like there were cameras in the bathroom watching me, every step I made. I wasn't able to shower or use the bathroom. I wasn't able to eat anything because all the voices were telling me there was stuff in my food. There was poison in my food. 

Jimena (Sheinn's mother): She's just thinking that I was poison her, not trusting me anymore. Thinking that was a clone, not being next to me anymore. I was scared of thinking that I'm not going to see her anymore, that they're going to let her down, because like the Spanish people, we believe that this sickness ... that we're going to lose our family members, that we cannot talk about it.

Sheinn (Jimena's daughter): I'm Ecuadorian and Puerto Rican, so I just think that my culture just doesn't know about the mental illness and doesn't know about how to help with their child or loved one. 

Jimena (Sheinn's mother): The doctor recommended OnTrackNY. There was a group of therapists, psychiatrists, social therapists, the nurses. She told me, "I think this is the best choice for her. If you don't want to return, end it." And it changed my life. And then I was getting information and learning for her. Doctor used to tell me, "Look for this website. Look at these movies. Look at this." She was telling me the sickness little by little to prepare me how to help her and her reliability to go home when she was stable.

That helped me to learn about her mental illness, not to be scared, to help her out, not to hide from what is going on, just to ask for help and they will be there for me, not to be ashamed of the sickness, whatever we need, they're there for us.

"[OnTrackNY] helped me to learn about her mental illness, not to be scared, to help her out, not to hide from what is going on, just to ask for help and they will be there for me, not to be ashamed of the sickness, whatever we need, they're there for us."

Sheinn (Jimena's daughter): Family is very helpful to your support group. They all help me in different ways, emotional, physically and mentally. They all have a role of listening, they all have a role of making me feel better.

Jimena (Sheinn's mother): And she's here now, enjoying her life and having a brighter future. And that's what I want for her.

 

Share, save, or keep learning

Need help now?

This website is not monitored 24/7 and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you or someone you know needs immediate support, please call or text 988.

Or, view free resources for immediate support.

OnTrackNY would not be possible without the support of our partners:

New York State Psychiatric Institute
New York State Office of Mental Health
Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc.
Center for Practice Innovations
Columbia University Department of Psychiatry