Ep. 45 The Mental Health Impact of Living in Fear of ICE (Alejandra Anastas)
- Neil Parekh
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
In light of the current administration’s use of ICE to terrorize communities and increased immigration enforcement, Alejandra Anastas will talk about the mental health toll of constantly looking over your shoulder, worrying if you’re next.
Alejandra grew up in an immigrant household, where language, access, and safety were not guaranteed, but something to be navigated daily.
Join us for “The Mental Health Impact of Living in Fear of ICE,” Ep. 45 of “Shining Light on Shadows: A Candid Conversation About Mental Health” Thursday, March 5 at 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 4pm PT
As she wrote in her blog post, “As a child, fear lived quietly in the background of my life. It was present in ways that were easy to overlook from the outside but impossible to escape from within. It shaped how I paid attention to the world. It shaped how I understood safety.”
Today, she focuses on the intersection of mental health, belonging, and opportunity—particularly for students and families living with the ongoing fear of immigration enforcement.
She joins us to talk about the mental health impact of living under that kind of constant uncertainty, and what it means to build a life while always wondering if it could be disrupted.
Watch the recording here or watch and comment on social media: Facebook* | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
*Facebook will delete the video in about 30 days (approx. April 4).
Programming Notes
On February 26, Prof. Walter Greason joined us for Ep. 44 leading us in a discussion of the mental health impact of increased AI use. We considered the question, “Is Using AI Making People More Impatient, Selfish and Violent?”
On March 19, Ranyah Sabry will join us to talk about the challenges that mothers face in defining themselves after their children have moved out.
Background
Dawn and I launched this twice a month show (usually the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month) in order to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health. Thank you for being part of our community.
We are proud to be in Year 3 of the show. If you are interested in being a guest on the show or know someone who might be interested, please let us know. We’re looking for people who would be willing to share their story, advocates and people who work in the field of mental health.
We hope you can watch the show and share your own thoughts in the comments.
Resources / Relevant Links
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline
800-950-6264 Or text "HelpLine" to 6264; nami.org
Mental Health America Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org; mhanational.org Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) National Sexual Assault Hotline 800-656-HOPE (4673); rainn.org
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