Hi everyone. I have anxiety and OCD and finally trying to get help and turn my life around. However, I live outside of my home country and finding that it's really hard to talk to people about mental health here.

I am wondering whether anyone had an experience living in a country or culture where disorders like anxiety and OCD are downplayed, not taken seriously or just not part of the wider conversation about health. Obviously this happens all the time in places like the US, UK and Canada, but here there's this fundamental perception that you "just need to think positively" and "just need to relax." I am going on medication and don't feel like this is something people here understand or support. 

Psychotherapy really isn't common here (although I go online) and I constantly feel like people just see me as making a big deal out of things or unfriendly. Like I am being selfish by having so many triggers and just need to get over it. Obviously I am not the only one struggling with anxiety here (we're all human, after all) but talking about mental health within the framework of specific disorders just isn't as common. I feel like this invalidates my experience, but also realize that I am the one who decided to live in another country and need to accept this. 

I guess I'm just looking for some support from others who have experienced this, and perhaps interesting research on the cultural perceptions of anxiety (if that's even a thing?). Sometimes I want to "educate" others about my disorders and struggles, but then feel like that would be pushing my culture onto other people. Does anyone have tips for how to navigate these mental health conversations across cultures in a respectful way? Thanks!