When Your Muslim Parents Don't Understand Mental Health
I grew up with traditional Pakistani parents, arranged marriage and all from the hearts of Karachi. From a young age, I had already known what I can and cannot do around them. I can talk to them about grades and food and friends, just not about boys and feelings and sex. I can watch cartoons and Disney shows but nothing that has kissing and relationships and girls showing a lot of skin. Even important topics such as periods were avoided. To this day, my mother still has not properly told me what a period is and when I got it, all she did was show me how to wash my underwear so we don't buy new ones and how to put on a pad. Growing up, these were just taboo topics that as a Muslim child were instilled in you not to talk about.