May 5, 2024 • 32 mins
Life abroad comes with its unique set of challenges, a truth I've come to know intimately since moving to Mexico. From the sun-soaked beaches to the bustling street markets, this vibrant country offers a wealth of experiences, but adapting hasn't been without its struggles. Through candid conversations with Dr. Kitzia Ruiz Navarro, a psychiatrist from Playa del Carmen, we shine a light on the mental health hurdles many expats encounter, including my own battle with insomnia and depression. We discuss the pressures of cultural acclimatization, the crucial role of community, and the necessity of accessible English-speaking mental health resources that can often be a lifeline for those feeling isolated in their new surroundings.
As we weave through the fabric of expat mental wellbeing, we tackle the interconnectedness of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances, and the additional strain a language barrier can impose. Dr. Kitzia and I unravel the layered complexity of these issues, offering insights and real-life anecdotes on the significance of seeking professional guidance. The episode also journeys into the sensitive topic of retirement, addressing the quest for renewed purpose and the emotional upheaval that can accompany such a major life change. We wrap up on a lighter note with our "que padre, que malo" segment, balancing the serious discussion with a glimpse into the everyday joys and challenges of life in Mexico. Join us as we approach these compelling topics with honesty, empathy, and an eye towards hope and healing.
We are incredibly thankful for engagement and stories from our listeners, who have found their own sense of 'home' across the globe. Stay tuned as we continue to share the wisdom and wanderlust of those who've charted their unique international courses. We'd love to hear your comments and questions. Email them to expatslikeus@gmail.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Expats Like Us.
When I quit my job and retiredto Mexico, I was so looking
forward to everything Iassociated with this part of the
country Great weather, greatbeaches, great food and all the
time I needed to enjoy it all.
So I did.
The first year was so exciting.
We made so many friends and didso many things and had tons of
(00:23):
new experiences.
Going to the beach, drinkingmargaritas, trying new
restaurants, navigating all thestrange Mexican systems took up
most of our time.
The second year, however, Ibegan to have some problems.
To make a long story short, thebeach wasn't new anymore, the
margaritas didn't taste as goodas they once did, and I was
having increasing troublesleeping at night.
(00:45):
If you've ever experienced anextended period of insomnia, you
know how awful that can be.
I soon found out that what Iwas experiencing was more
complicated than just insomnia.
My guest for this episode isone of the people who helped me
through this tough period.
This episode is one of thepeople who helped me through
this tough period.
(01:05):
Doctora Navarro is apsychiatrist in Playa del Carmen
.
I am so excited she agreed tobe on this podcast and I hope my
story and her advice can helpother people who may be
experiencing some of the samefeelings that I had.
I know it helped me.
Following her interview, I willhave a list of some mental
health resources that areavailable in English for expats
(01:27):
throughout Mexico.
So stick around.
Welcome to Expats Like Usexploring the world of US expat
life in Mexico.
In each episode we'll meet newpeople and hear their personal
stories.
We'll also learn more about theexpat life and get a few tips
on everything from making yourmove to settling in and living
(01:49):
your dream.
Let's dive in.
I'm your host, bob Bussey.
Today I'm thrilled to betalking with psychiatrist Dr
Kitsia Ruiz Navarro.
Dr Kitsia lives and practicesin Playa del Carmen.
She's trained as a surgeon andholds degrees in effective and
(02:10):
bipolar disorders and psychiatryfrom Ramon de la Fuente
National Institute of Psychiatry, and she's certified by the
Mexican Council of Psychiatry.
Dr Kitsia describes herself asproudly Mexican, originally from
Mexico City and happily fromPlaya del Carmen.
She's also a leader and afighter for social issues.
(02:30):
I met Dr Kitsia afterexperiencing chronic
sleeplessness, which turned outto be a symptom of depression in
my case.
Thank you, dr Kitsia, andwelcome to Expats Like Us.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Thank you very much.
It's a pleasure to be here withyou today.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So tell me what first interested you in a career as a
psychiatrist.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
There's something in humans that make us being us and
no one else, and it's not thebrain, it's not the heart, it's
not our background, and sincethe beginning, I had a lot of
interesting to understand.
What was that?
Unfortunately, by the time pass, I understood that there is no
(03:12):
answer with that, but themystery of the brand, it's
something that makes me wake upevery morning and do my job,
like, like and that's it.
I I always say that the mind islike a universe, a big, big
universe, and we only know onlylike a start we can see with a
(03:34):
telescope and that's it.
So a lot of things to, to, to,to research, to understand, and
every day something new in mypractice, and that's what I like
a lot about psychiatry.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So how long have you been practicing?
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Like about 18 years.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Oh, okay.
Yes, a lot of years, a lot ofyears, and there's still just as
much mystery involved in thehuman mind, as there was when
you started.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yes, but the more I know, the less I think I know
Like.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
So Playa del Carmen, where you practice and it's
nearby where I live, it's arelatively young international
city with residents from allover the world living here.
Do you find that thisenvironment lends itself to any
mental health issues that maynot be so prevalent in other
places?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yes, playa del Carmen has something very peculiar and
it's different.
I always say that there isMexico and Playa del Carmen, or
Mexico and Quintana Roo.
Quintana Roo is a place thatwas built by immigrants, not
only international immigrants,also by people of other places
of Mexico.
So it's very difficult to finda sense of community here and
(05:07):
most of people arrive here aloneand loneliness is something
that by sure it's like a riskfactor for mental disorders.
So it's not easy to get usedand to get involved and make
this community that at the end,we need to have community.
So, yes, people can stroll alot by the time they arrive here
(05:30):
, especially after certainmonths.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, I've never thought about that, but this
area it's a young place,basically it's.
You know, Quintana Roo became astate in the 70s sometime, so
there's nobody that has fivegenerations of family and
support structure here.
I've never thought of thatbefore.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
And Playa.
It's a place that people comeand go Like they can come work,
stay like a couple of months andthen leave and they go to a
different place.
So it's a very unstable placeto settle.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Right.
So describe your clientele.
Are they primarily immigrantsfrom other countries?
Are they native Mexicans or isit a mix of both?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I think it's a mix of both Some days and it's
something I like a lot at my job, because some days I only see
Mexicans, but other days I canbegin with the Russian, and then
with the Spanish, and then withthe Italian and then with the
Chinese, so it's veryinteresting.
At the end of the day, it's avery multicultural, very
(06:37):
cosmopolitan city, so I seepeople from almost all the world
Right.
I see people from almost allthe world.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
So there is no difference between being a
forgain immigrant, like comingfrom USA or Canada, and coming
from Mexico City or Monterey.
At the end, everybody's animmigrant here.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Right, right.
I've never thought about that.
I look from being only here forthree years now, you know.
I look and say oh, this, this,this person is, is a native here
, but not many people are.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
No, actually, actually I'm an immigrant.
I'm an immigrant.
I have been 12 years livinghere.
I'm from Mexico City, so so,yes, we're everybody's immigrant
.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, okay.
So I've heard that there aresome problems or disorders that
anyone can suffer from, butmaybe they're more prevalent in
the expat or immigrantpopulation.
And why is this?
You may have touched on that Isthe support structure.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yes, like according to the city, and coming to a new
place with a different language, different culture.
I think that anxiety andadaptative disorders are some of
the things that I see the mostLike all this.
I mean not depression, notanxiety, but is the stress about
(08:01):
coming to a new place with newpeople, with new job, with new
culture.
It's the stress of coming to anew place with new people, with
new job, with new culture, andthere is no like a different
prevalence from other place inthe world.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Actually, Like we know that anxiety and depression
are the most common psychiatricdisorders in the world.
So when you say adaptivedisorders I guess I didn't know
that term really that's when youhave a major change in life.
Is that what that is?
Speaker 2 (08:26):
When you have a major change, exactly.
You have a major change in yourlife and you can have symptoms
that are compatible with adepression or with an anxiety
disorder, but they are not asintense to give medication or
they don't interfere in yourfunctionality as a depression or
anxiety disorder can do.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Okay, well, everybody that we talked to on this
podcast has adapted to some bigchanges in their life.
Yes, and mostly just in thelast few years.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Yes, especially when you come here to a new place and
you begin your retirement.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Not only moving to a new place, it's also that.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
It's a double change.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
It's your work, life changes and your home changes
Exactly.
From one day to another, youstop with your routine of 25, 30
years and the first months Ialways say that it's like a
honeymoon.
It's like you're in the placeyou dream all your life.
You have the beach, you havethe sun, you have a beautiful
(09:36):
weather.
And by the month's passes it'slike and now what?
So it's very easy to lose thepurpose in the days Right, and
that's a risk factor fordepression and anxiety.
It's like now, what am I goingto do?
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I remember you very well telling me the exact words
the honeymoon is over.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yes, and it's when we began to see anxiety,
depression, and another thingthat is very common here,
especially after retirement, islike alcohol abuse also.
You can begin the party at 11in the morning and end at 2 am
in the morning, yeah, becauseyou feel that you're on vacation
(10:17):
, so it's very easy also to getinvolved with alcohol, right?
And it's another thing that Isee a lot like a lot of alcohol
abuse.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I bet, yeah, I see it too.
I'm not a psychiatrist, but Ican diagnose it, you know.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
in my head.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
So I know that there are people who move here that
begin to feel what they maydescribe as anxiety.
Can you describe what anxietyis, where it comes from and what
it feels like, and what's thedifference between anxiety and
depression?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
I have a very short like short long story to
describe anxiety.
Anxiety is like living in ahurry, with a feeling that
someone is behind you, that youneed to to end things very fast,
and with the feeling that youare uh, that you are forgetting
to do something, like beingworried about almost everything
(11:20):
and also small things and you'renot able to focus in one
situation.
It's like that's anxiety orthat's living with anxiety.
What happens with anxiety isthat we get used to that, like
someone that lives some peoplehave anxiety exactly, exactly
(11:42):
because they are going to thenext thing.
And we get used to live likethat until something changes in
our body and we begin tostruggle in our days.
We lose our functionality, forexample, with panic attacks
where we're not able to sleep,and if we don't sleep by sure we
(12:05):
are going to feel terrible thenext day.
If we have a lot of nightswithout sleeping, I mean life
can be a disaster.
Or if you stop eating or youare so irritable that you don't
want to be with anyone or you'rejust fighting with everybody
everywhere, like those are themost common symptoms of anxiety.
(12:29):
Also, like being worried aboutsmall things.
It's like, ah, I need to go andpay my CFE bill and go into the
bank and pay the bill.
It's like something extremelybig.
It's like we began to seethings bigger than they are.
We are thinking all the time inthe worst scenario in the
(12:50):
future.
We feel that we can think whatother people is thinking, or we
take things very personal, likethat's society like in general,
I think as an immigrant, there'san additional factor that goes
with that.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Like I have to go pay my SEFE bill, but I don't know
Spanish, you know?
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
The things that we talked about on this podcast
with people about things theyhave to adapt to.
That's.
One of the main things ispaying your bills and doing that
sort of thing and thebureaucracy that you deal with
with the government andeverything.
It's extra hard for immigrantsbecause they don't know the
language.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Let me explain you something.
Don't feel so bad because, alsoas a Mexican, when we arrived
here are very difficult things.
I mean, quintero works verydifferent than other cities in
Mexico.
As you said, there is a lot ofbureaucracy, a lot of
bureaucracy, and even though wespeak Spanish, it's something
(13:53):
difficult for us to get used tothat.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Right, I had a friend .
We went to get our driver'slicenses renewed the other day
and they wanted her to.
They started asking herquestions about like a driving
test, and it was in a dialect ofSpanish.
She's a native Spanish speakerbut she grew up in the United
States and it was in a dialectshe didn't understand and, oh my
(14:17):
God, that was.
That's some stress and anxietyright there.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
She did end up getting her license, but and
they didn't ask me quite theyknew better than to ask me
questions in Spanish, becausethat wouldn't have worked out at
all yes, this, it's difficultand, as you said, it's like
something more.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
I mean you have like more stress right, right.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
So I've heard that often people think they're
suffering from anxiety, butmaybe they're suffering from
depression.
What are the differencesbetween the two and what are
some symptoms people might havethat may be signs of either
anxiety or depression, and whatare the differences?
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Most of the times, anxiety and depression comes in
a combo.
Okay, that's just how our brainworks.
I already explained whatanxiety is, but when we keep
that levels of anxiety very high, in one moment we're going to
begin feeling like sadness thatit's there all the day, almost
every day.
You have motivation.
(15:15):
We like you can eat more or eatless.
You can also have sleepdisturbances.
You stop enjoying what you usedeat less.
You can also have sleepdisturbances.
You stop enjoying what you usedto enjoy.
You abandon yourself and in avery advanced moment you can
also have suicidal thoughts and,on the other hand, you can
(15:36):
begin having depression and in acertain moment you're going to
have some symptoms of anxietyright right and the reason is
how our brain works betweenadrenaline and serotonin and a
lot of like more technicalthings, that it's going to be a
little bored, but but but mostof the time they come together
would you say that anxiety is?
Speaker 1 (15:58):
would anxiety be maybe considered a precursor to
depression, something that youknow?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
most of the time, if you don't have like the right
treatment?
Would anxiety be maybeconsidered a precursor to
depression?
Yes, most of the time, if youdon't have the right treatment
for anxiety at a certain moment,you're going to feel depression
.
And let me make a pass here weare humans and we have emotions
and we can have good days andbad days and we can have griefs
and we can have stressfulsituations, that in certain
moments we're going to feel sad.
(16:24):
But feeling sad sadness is notdepression.
I mean depression also comeswith other symptoms and as the
same as anxiety.
When we are not able to do thethings that we need to do, when
our functionality gets likedamaged, it's when we talk about
depression, not only sadness.
(16:45):
Sadness is not enough.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
In my personal situation, my main symptom that
brought my attention to anythingwas insomnia.
I couldn't sleep, and it's likeyou just said.
You know, you go a nightwithout sleeping, that's a
problem, but you go a wholebunch of nights without sleeping
, it's a.
It is quite a thing to dealwith, right?
But the way I saw it, my lackof sleep was what was causing me
(17:21):
anxiety, which was something Ireally didn't understand, you
know, until I talked to you andtalked to doctors about it.
I went to several medicaldoctors looking for something to
help me sleep.
I was looking for some kind ofpill that would put me to sleep,
and it didn't help.
I didn't find anything likethat.
You know, I didn't have anyluck, anything like that.
(17:42):
You know, I didn't have anyluck.
And then one of them referredme to you and it turns out that
the underlying cause of mysleeplessness was actually a
form of depression.
So I do I, you know.
You know, my experience withthis is probably better than I
do but do you find that many ofyour clients go through that
similar journey?
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yes, sleep disturbances is one of the first
symptoms when our brain is notable to repair all the changes
that we can have when we sufferfrom depression or anxiety, and
why we just pay attention to thesleep pattern.
Because if we don't sleep thenext day we can feel terrible,
(18:21):
not only mental but alsophysical.
So most of the time we go tothe doctor asking for something
to sleep, thinking in ourfantasy that by the time we
sleep we can feel better.
And yes, yes, but there aresymptoms that we need to take
care about.
There are sleep disorders, likein psychiatry.
There are also psychiatriststhat specialize just in sleep
(18:43):
disorders and it's another worldinside psychiatry but they are
not as common as we think, likewhen we talk about insomnia.
Most of the time insomnia it'sa symptom of anxiety and
depression, a primary disorderof the sleep.
It's not so common as we canthink, but it's something we
(19:08):
have or we can identify betterthan other symptoms that we can
have when we have anxiety ordepression.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Right, right.
So in my case, treatmentinvolved counseling and
medication for about six months.
It also involved finding aworthwhile purpose in my
retirement, which actually isone of the key themes to this
podcast that we're doing rightnow.
This is we kind of talk withyou.
Know, we go in a roundaboutfashion.
(19:38):
We don't say, are you depressed?
But we say so, what is yourpassion in life?
And that's what we try andencourage amongst, amongst
expats.
Um, so my symptoms eventuallywent away and I was back to my
old self.
And do you find this is thecase with most of your clients?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
no, no, you were like a very good patient, and, and,
and you followed instructionsand you and you did what, what I
suggested you to do, and that'swhy you succeed so fast and in
a very short time period, likeyou, began paying attention to
your sleep pattern, to your diet, making exercise, going also to
(20:19):
psychotherapy and finally yougot your purpose in this new
city, in new circumstances, andthat's why you succeed.
I hope everybody were like you.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
That would be the ultimate goal.
Right is to have more peoplethat come through that on the
other end.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Believe it or not, there is a lot of resistancy to
make changes right, like like.
Remember that as humans, we arealways going to do what we know
how, what we have been doingall of our life.
But sometimes we forgot thatwe're in a different moment of
our lives and we are stillmoving in the same direction,
thinking that everything isgoing to change and it's just
about time.
So it's very important to begintaking the risk to do the
(21:12):
things different so you can havedifferent results, and not
everybody can understand that soeasily as you did.
That's why you succeeded sofast.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Very good, thank you.
So if someone thinks they'resuffering from symptoms of
anxiety or depression, whereshould they turn for help?
What's the first thing theyshould do?
Speaker 2 (21:30):
I think that any approach to a certificate
medical health care, mentalhealth care it's like they can
identify what you need, like ifyou need to go to a psychiatrist
or you need just therapy or,most of the time, both of them.
What we need to be carefulabout living here is that you
(21:54):
can find a psychologist in anycorner of the city, but you need
to be sure that they have theright certifications right right
because sometimes there'sanother thing, like it's very
peculiar from this place andit's like something that I call
the shanty shanty.
Here you have, or you can find,like a lot of magical thoughts
(22:18):
about energy, about ayahuasca,about chamanes, like and it's
very common that people go therebefore coming right.
They're looking for the crystalsto solve their problems rather
than psychotherapy or whateverexactly something I hear a lot
every day is like I'm cominghere because you're at my last
option, I've had done all thealternative therapies.
(22:41):
Nothing works, so just go intoa professional.
It doesn't matter if it'spsychologist or psychiatrist, if
it's something, if it's anethical professionalist, he or
she can refer you to thetreatment that you need okay,
(23:01):
very good, if you had advice foranyone thinking about retiring
and moving to Mexico, like I did.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
I retired young.
I retired earlier than mostpeople retire.
But if they're moving to Mexico, or anywhere in the world for
that matter, what would youradvice be and what are some
things they may not be thinkingabout?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Okay, okay, before talking about retire, I will
give an advice.
Don't forget to enjoy your lifeby the time your retirement
comes, because unfortunately, Ialso see a lot of stories of
people that their dream was likeretire and coming here to
Rivera Maya and achieving thatgoal.
They didn't pay attention tothe health, to the family, to
(23:46):
relationships, and now they arehere in the place they wanted to
be, but alone and sick.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Right.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Oh, yes, yes, Thinking of retirement.
It's perfect.
I plan about that, but don'tforget to enjoy the road to go
there.
That's my first advice Don'tforget to live every day.
And once you retire, it's likewe need to understand that at
(24:12):
the end it's a grief, it's adifferent moment of our life and
when we have a grief it's validto feel what we need and what
we want to feel we are not onlylike stop seeing our friends,
our community, of all our life.
We're also like moving to a newplace.
(24:36):
So we need to be compassionatewith ourselves.
So, yes, we're going to feelsadness and sometimes we're
going to be like very happy, andsometimes we can cry and it's
OK.
It's OK not to be OK.
Yeah, right, and living thatprocess and give up, give
(24:56):
ourselves to, to, to, to, toclose like that cycle of our
work and productive life andbegin something new, it's new.
I always say that retirement islike going to school the first
day of school.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Yes, yeah, you're starting something brand new
that you don't even know whatyou're going to learn or what
you're going to do yet.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
Exactly, but as children we are not so
complicated and we are alwaysopen to learn new things.
So it's the same attitude thatwe can have in the retirement,
like I'm going to let the lifeto surprise me and I'm going to
be open to learn how this newadventure in life goes without
(25:48):
pushing the things.
And that's it Like don't try todo what you used to do before
your retirement.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Right, right, I would agree with you and I learned a
lot from you, and you are one ofmy most admired people that
I've met since I moved here.
I just want to say that, so, so, one of the things that we do,
we have a lighthearted traditionon this podcast and we call it
uh K padre, k malo, and it'slike we ask our guests one thing
(26:21):
that they love about living inthis area and they love about
Mexico or Quintana Roo, orwhatever, and the other one is
Que Malo, something that notnecessarily that they hate, but
something that they're stilladapting to is the way that we
like to say it.
So could you give me a QuePadre and a Que Malo?
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Okay, a Que Padre is that there's no traffic.
Well, there is more than 12years ago that I arrived here,
but it's like I can go from oneplace to another without being
hours in my car.
Like that's a que padre.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Unlike Mexico City right.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Mexico City.
You can stay three hours inyour car just going from one
place to another.
So so that's a que padre and aque malo.
It's a very hard question yeahand I'm going to explain you why
.
I'm sure you want an answerfrom me, but but if I just pay
(27:27):
attention to the que mal, I'mnot going to be able to enjoy
the good things that I have here.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
You won't be able to enjoy the Que Padre yes.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
And I know that moving from Mexico City to here,
there were a lot of things thatI'm not going to have.
But you can have everything, atleast not at the same time.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Right.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Or maybe the Kemalo.
It's like that cultural lifethat you can have in Mexico City
, like museums, theater, likeconcerts, like a lot of things.
I think that will be the Kemalo, but it's not so Kemalo.
Yeah, I have other things here.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
I completely understand what you're saying,
because we used to love, youknow, plays and concerts and
that kind of thing, and it'sjust not something that's here.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
You cannot move to a new place like thinking all the
time in all the things you leftRight, right.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Things you don't have .
Speaker 2 (28:25):
If not, you're not going to be able to adapt to a
new place.
So, yes, there are a lot ofKemalos, but they are small
Kemalos.
There are more good things thanbad things.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Right.
That's why you're here, I wouldtotally agree.
Well, thank you so much, drKitsia Ruiz Navarro, for sharing
your insights with us on expatslike us.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Thank you.
To you, it was a pleasure to behere and congratulations for
this space and to shareexperiences with other expats.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Very good.
Thank you so much.
Thank you to you.
Bye-bye, bye.
From my personal experience, thebest mental health care begins
with your own medical doctor.
That's how I was referred to,dr Kitsia.
It's a great place to start.
Here are some more mentalhealth resources available in
English for expats in Mexico andaround the world.
(29:17):
Ola Therapy is a team ofinternational and
multidisciplinary therapists.
They're based in Mexico Cityand work primarily with the
international community.
They offer therapy in Englishand Spanish.
Their services includeindividual therapy, couples
therapy, family therapy andworking with children and teens.
They are an inclusive serviceas well, being LGBTQ plus
(29:38):
friendly and welcome people fromall walks of life.
You can find them atholatherapymx that's
H-O-L-A-T-H-E-R-A-P-Y dot M-XBetterHelp, where you can tap
into the world's largest networkof credentialed and experienced
therapists who can help youwith a range of issues,
including depression, anxiety,relationships, trauma, grief and
(30:01):
more.
With their therapists, you getthe same professionalism and
quality you would expect from anin-office therapist, but with
the ability to communicate whenand how you want.
They're found at BetterHelpcom.
Onlinetherapycom is based onCognitive Behavioral Therapy.
They're a dedicatedonline-based team of consultants
(30:21):
, therapists, cognitivebehavioral therapists,
practitioners and support staffthat work collaboratively to
help people in need of emotionalsupport.
You can find them atonlinetherapycom.
In each episode of Expats LikeUs, we're going to teach you a
new Mexican slang word.
This is something you may notfind in your phrasebook or your
(30:43):
online Spanish class or yourSpanish app or wherever you're
learning your Spanish.
Instead, this is a term usedprimarily by Mexican Spanish
speakers.
Today's word is Naco.
Naco, how do you spell that?
Speaker 2 (31:00):
N-A-C-O.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
N-A-C-O Naco.
What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Naco is basically a person who is not well-educated,
ghetto, clumsy, doesn't knowwhat's going on.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Okay, very cool.
Don't be a NACO.
Don't act like you're a NACO.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
All right.
Gracias to Erica Kowalski fromMi Vida Margarita.
We'd love to hear your thoughtson today's topic.
Just look up Expats Like Us onFacebook or send us an email at
expatslikeus at gmailcom.
You can also see the videoversion of today's discussion
(31:38):
and all of our discussions onour YouTube page.
Follow, like, subscribe andleave us a review.
Thank you to today's guest, drAkitsia Ruiz Navarro, for
sharing her insight.
Thanks also to Chris and EricaKowalski and Sherry Bussey.
(32:00):
Most of all, thank you fortuning in to Expats Like Us and
thank you for interacting withus on social media.
Next time, we'll bring you fortuning in to Expats Like Us and
thank you for interacting withus on social media.
Next time, we'll bring you morefirsthand information about
your international move.
We'll see you again in twoweeks.
Until then, remember our homesare not defined by geography or
one particular location, but bymemories, events, people and
(32:21):
places that span the globe.
Welcome to Expats Like Us.
When I quit my job and retiredto Mexico, I was so looking
forward to everything Iassociated with this part of the
country Great weather, greatbeaches, great food and all the
time I needed to enjoy it all.
So I did.
The first year was so exciting.
We made so many friends and didso many things and had tons of
(00:23):
new experiences.
Going to the beach, drinkingmargaritas, trying new
restaurants, navigating all thestrange Mexican systems took up
most of our time.
The second year, however, Ibegan to have some problems.
To make a long story short, thebeach wasn't new anymore, the
margaritas didn't taste as goodas they once did, and I was
having increasing troublesleeping at night.
(00:45):
If you've ever experienced anextended period of insomnia, you
know how awful that can be.
I soon found out that what Iwas experiencing was more
complicated than just insomnia.
My guest for this episode isone of the people who helped me
through this tough period.
This episode is one of thepeople who helped me through
this tough period.
(01:05):
Doctora Navarro is apsychiatrist in Playa del Carmen
.
I am so excited she agreed tobe on this podcast and I hope my
story and her advice can helpother people who may be
experiencing some of the samefeelings that I had.
I know it helped me.
Following her interview, I willhave a list of some mental
health resources that areavailable in English for expats
(01:27):
throughout Mexico.
So stick around.
Welcome to Expats Like Usexploring the world of US expat
life in Mexico.
In each episode we'll meet newpeople and hear their personal
stories.
We'll also learn more about theexpat life and get a few tips
on everything from making yourmove to settling in and living
(01:49):
your dream.
Let's dive in.
I'm your host, bob Bussey.
Today I'm thrilled to betalking with psychiatrist Dr
Kitsia Ruiz Navarro.
Dr Kitsia lives and practicesin Playa del Carmen.
She's trained as a surgeon andholds degrees in effective and
(02:10):
bipolar disorders and psychiatryfrom Ramon de la Fuente
National Institute of Psychiatry, and she's certified by the
Mexican Council of Psychiatry.
Dr Kitsia describes herself asproudly Mexican, originally from
Mexico City and happily fromPlaya del Carmen.
She's also a leader and afighter for social issues.
(02:30):
I met Dr Kitsia afterexperiencing chronic
sleeplessness, which turned outto be a symptom of depression in
my case.
Thank you, dr Kitsia, andwelcome to Expats Like Us.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Thank you very much.
It's a pleasure to be here withyou today.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So tell me what first interested you in a career as a
psychiatrist.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
There's something in humans that make us being us and
no one else, and it's not thebrain, it's not the heart, it's
not our background, and sincethe beginning, I had a lot of
interesting to understand.
What was that?
Unfortunately, by the time pass, I understood that there is no
(03:12):
answer with that, but themystery of the brand, it's
something that makes me wake upevery morning and do my job,
like, like and that's it.
I I always say that the mind islike a universe, a big, big
universe, and we only know onlylike a start we can see with a
(03:34):
telescope and that's it.
So a lot of things to, to, to,to research, to understand, and
every day something new in mypractice, and that's what I like
a lot about psychiatry.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So how long have you been practicing?
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Like about 18 years.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Oh, okay.
Yes, a lot of years, a lot ofyears, and there's still just as
much mystery involved in thehuman mind, as there was when
you started.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yes, but the more I know, the less I think I know
Like.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
So Playa del Carmen, where you practice and it's
nearby where I live, it's arelatively young international
city with residents from allover the world living here.
Do you find that thisenvironment lends itself to any
mental health issues that maynot be so prevalent in other
places?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yes, playa del Carmen has something very peculiar and
it's different.
I always say that there isMexico and Playa del Carmen, or
Mexico and Quintana Roo.
Quintana Roo is a place thatwas built by immigrants, not
only international immigrants,also by people of other places
of Mexico.
So it's very difficult to finda sense of community here and
(05:07):
most of people arrive here aloneand loneliness is something
that by sure it's like a riskfactor for mental disorders.
So it's not easy to get usedand to get involved and make
this community that at the end,we need to have community.
So, yes, people can stroll alot by the time they arrive here
(05:30):
, especially after certainmonths.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, I've never thought about that, but this
area it's a young place,basically it's.
You know, Quintana Roo became astate in the 70s sometime, so
there's nobody that has fivegenerations of family and
support structure here.
I've never thought of thatbefore.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
And Playa.
It's a place that people comeand go Like they can come work,
stay like a couple of months andthen leave and they go to a
different place.
So it's a very unstable placeto settle.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Right.
So describe your clientele.
Are they primarily immigrantsfrom other countries?
Are they native Mexicans or isit a mix of both?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I think it's a mix of both Some days and it's
something I like a lot at my job, because some days I only see
Mexicans, but other days I canbegin with the Russian, and then
with the Spanish, and then withthe Italian and then with the
Chinese, so it's veryinteresting.
At the end of the day, it's avery multicultural, very
(06:37):
cosmopolitan city, so I seepeople from almost all the world
Right.
I see people from almost allthe world.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
So there is no difference between being a
forgain immigrant, like comingfrom USA or Canada, and coming
from Mexico City or Monterey.
At the end, everybody's animmigrant here.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Right, right.
I've never thought about that.
I look from being only here forthree years now, you know.
I look and say oh, this, this,this person is, is a native here
, but not many people are.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
No, actually, actually I'm an immigrant.
I'm an immigrant.
I have been 12 years livinghere.
I'm from Mexico City, so so,yes, we're everybody's immigrant
.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, okay.
So I've heard that there aresome problems or disorders that
anyone can suffer from, butmaybe they're more prevalent in
the expat or immigrantpopulation.
And why is this?
You may have touched on that Isthe support structure.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yes, like according to the city, and coming to a new
place with a different language, different culture.
I think that anxiety andadaptative disorders are some of
the things that I see the mostLike all this.
I mean not depression, notanxiety, but is the stress about
(08:01):
coming to a new place with newpeople, with new job, with new
culture.
It's the stress of coming to anew place with new people, with
new job, with new culture, andthere is no like a different
prevalence from other place inthe world.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Actually, Like we know that anxiety and depression
are the most common psychiatricdisorders in the world.
So when you say adaptivedisorders I guess I didn't know
that term really that's when youhave a major change in life.
Is that what that is?
Speaker 2 (08:26):
When you have a major change, exactly.
You have a major change in yourlife and you can have symptoms
that are compatible with adepression or with an anxiety
disorder, but they are not asintense to give medication or
they don't interfere in yourfunctionality as a depression or
anxiety disorder can do.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Okay, well, everybody that we talked to on this
podcast has adapted to some bigchanges in their life.
Yes, and mostly just in thelast few years.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Yes, especially when you come here to a new place and
you begin your retirement.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Not only moving to a new place, it's also that.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
It's a double change.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
It's your work, life changes and your home changes
Exactly.
From one day to another, youstop with your routine of 25, 30
years and the first months Ialways say that it's like a
honeymoon.
It's like you're in the placeyou dream all your life.
You have the beach, you havethe sun, you have a beautiful
(09:36):
weather.
And by the month's passes it'slike and now what?
So it's very easy to lose thepurpose in the days Right, and
that's a risk factor fordepression and anxiety.
It's like now, what am I goingto do?
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I remember you very well telling me the exact words
the honeymoon is over.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yes, and it's when we began to see anxiety,
depression, and another thingthat is very common here,
especially after retirement, islike alcohol abuse also.
You can begin the party at 11in the morning and end at 2 am
in the morning, yeah, becauseyou feel that you're on vacation
(10:17):
, so it's very easy also to getinvolved with alcohol, right?
And it's another thing that Isee a lot like a lot of alcohol
abuse.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I bet, yeah, I see it too.
I'm not a psychiatrist, but Ican diagnose it, you know.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
in my head.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
So I know that there are people who move here that
begin to feel what they maydescribe as anxiety.
Can you describe what anxietyis, where it comes from and what
it feels like, and what's thedifference between anxiety and
depression?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
I have a very short like short long story to
describe anxiety.
Anxiety is like living in ahurry, with a feeling that
someone is behind you, that youneed to to end things very fast,
and with the feeling that youare uh, that you are forgetting
to do something, like beingworried about almost everything
(11:20):
and also small things and you'renot able to focus in one
situation.
It's like that's anxiety orthat's living with anxiety.
What happens with anxiety isthat we get used to that, like
someone that lives some peoplehave anxiety exactly, exactly
(11:42):
because they are going to thenext thing.
And we get used to live likethat until something changes in
our body and we begin tostruggle in our days.
We lose our functionality, forexample, with panic attacks
where we're not able to sleep,and if we don't sleep by sure we
(12:05):
are going to feel terrible thenext day.
If we have a lot of nightswithout sleeping, I mean life
can be a disaster.
Or if you stop eating or youare so irritable that you don't
want to be with anyone or you'rejust fighting with everybody
everywhere, like those are themost common symptoms of anxiety.
(12:29):
Also, like being worried aboutsmall things.
It's like, ah, I need to go andpay my CFE bill and go into the
bank and pay the bill.
It's like something extremelybig.
It's like we began to seethings bigger than they are.
We are thinking all the time inthe worst scenario in the
(12:50):
future.
We feel that we can think whatother people is thinking, or we
take things very personal, likethat's society like in general,
I think as an immigrant, there'san additional factor that goes
with that.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Like I have to go pay my SEFE bill, but I don't know
Spanish, you know?
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
The things that we talked about on this podcast
with people about things theyhave to adapt to.
That's.
One of the main things ispaying your bills and doing that
sort of thing and thebureaucracy that you deal with
with the government andeverything.
It's extra hard for immigrantsbecause they don't know the
language.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Let me explain you something.
Don't feel so bad because, alsoas a Mexican, when we arrived
here are very difficult things.
I mean, quintero works verydifferent than other cities in
Mexico.
As you said, there is a lot ofbureaucracy, a lot of
bureaucracy, and even though wespeak Spanish, it's something
(13:53):
difficult for us to get used tothat.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Right, I had a friend .
We went to get our driver'slicenses renewed the other day
and they wanted her to.
They started asking herquestions about like a driving
test, and it was in a dialect ofSpanish.
She's a native Spanish speakerbut she grew up in the United
States and it was in a dialectshe didn't understand and, oh my
(14:17):
God, that was.
That's some stress and anxietyright there.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
She did end up getting her license, but and
they didn't ask me quite theyknew better than to ask me
questions in Spanish, becausethat wouldn't have worked out at
all yes, this, it's difficultand, as you said, it's like
something more.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
I mean you have like more stress right, right.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
So I've heard that often people think they're
suffering from anxiety, butmaybe they're suffering from
depression.
What are the differencesbetween the two and what are
some symptoms people might havethat may be signs of either
anxiety or depression, and whatare the differences?
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Most of the times, anxiety and depression comes in
a combo.
Okay, that's just how our brainworks.
I already explained whatanxiety is, but when we keep
that levels of anxiety very high, in one moment we're going to
begin feeling like sadness thatit's there all the day, almost
every day.
You have motivation.
(15:15):
We like you can eat more or eatless.
You can also have sleepdisturbances.
You stop enjoying what you usedeat less.
You can also have sleepdisturbances.
You stop enjoying what you usedto enjoy.
You abandon yourself and in avery advanced moment you can
also have suicidal thoughts and,on the other hand, you can
(15:36):
begin having depression and in acertain moment you're going to
have some symptoms of anxietyright right and the reason is
how our brain works betweenadrenaline and serotonin and a
lot of like more technicalthings, that it's going to be a
little bored, but but but mostof the time they come together
would you say that anxiety is?
Speaker 1 (15:58):
would anxiety be maybe considered a precursor to
depression, something that youknow?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
most of the time, if you don't have like the right
treatment?
Would anxiety be maybeconsidered a precursor to
depression?
Yes, most of the time, if youdon't have the right treatment
for anxiety at a certain moment,you're going to feel depression
.
And let me make a pass here weare humans and we have emotions
and we can have good days andbad days and we can have griefs
and we can have stressfulsituations, that in certain
moments we're going to feel sad.
(16:24):
But feeling sad sadness is notdepression.
I mean depression also comeswith other symptoms and as the
same as anxiety.
When we are not able to do thethings that we need to do, when
our functionality gets likedamaged, it's when we talk about
depression, not only sadness.
(16:45):
Sadness is not enough.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
In my personal situation, my main symptom that
brought my attention to anythingwas insomnia.
I couldn't sleep, and it's likeyou just said.
You know, you go a nightwithout sleeping, that's a
problem, but you go a wholebunch of nights without sleeping
, it's a.
It is quite a thing to dealwith, right?
But the way I saw it, my lackof sleep was what was causing me
(17:21):
anxiety, which was something Ireally didn't understand, you
know, until I talked to you andtalked to doctors about it.
I went to several medicaldoctors looking for something to
help me sleep.
I was looking for some kind ofpill that would put me to sleep,
and it didn't help.
I didn't find anything likethat.
You know, I didn't have anyluck, anything like that.
(17:42):
You know, I didn't have anyluck.
And then one of them referredme to you and it turns out that
the underlying cause of mysleeplessness was actually a
form of depression.
So I do I, you know.
You know, my experience withthis is probably better than I
do but do you find that many ofyour clients go through that
similar journey?
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yes, sleep disturbances is one of the first
symptoms when our brain is notable to repair all the changes
that we can have when we sufferfrom depression or anxiety, and
why we just pay attention to thesleep pattern.
Because if we don't sleep thenext day we can feel terrible,
(18:21):
not only mental but alsophysical.
So most of the time we go tothe doctor asking for something
to sleep, thinking in ourfantasy that by the time we
sleep we can feel better.
And yes, yes, but there aresymptoms that we need to take
care about.
There are sleep disorders, likein psychiatry.
There are also psychiatriststhat specialize just in sleep
(18:43):
disorders and it's another worldinside psychiatry but they are
not as common as we think, likewhen we talk about insomnia.
Most of the time insomnia it'sa symptom of anxiety and
depression, a primary disorderof the sleep.
It's not so common as we canthink, but it's something we
(19:08):
have or we can identify betterthan other symptoms that we can
have when we have anxiety ordepression.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Right, right.
So in my case, treatmentinvolved counseling and
medication for about six months.
It also involved finding aworthwhile purpose in my
retirement, which actually isone of the key themes to this
podcast that we're doing rightnow.
This is we kind of talk withyou.
Know, we go in a roundaboutfashion.
(19:38):
We don't say, are you depressed?
But we say so, what is yourpassion in life?
And that's what we try andencourage amongst, amongst
expats.
Um, so my symptoms eventuallywent away and I was back to my
old self.
And do you find this is thecase with most of your clients?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
no, no, you were like a very good patient, and, and,
and you followed instructionsand you and you did what, what I
suggested you to do, and that'swhy you succeed so fast and in
a very short time period, likeyou, began paying attention to
your sleep pattern, to your diet, making exercise, going also to
(20:19):
psychotherapy and finally yougot your purpose in this new
city, in new circumstances, andthat's why you succeed.
I hope everybody were like you.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
That would be the ultimate goal.
Right is to have more peoplethat come through that on the
other end.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Believe it or not, there is a lot of resistancy to
make changes right, like like.
Remember that as humans, we arealways going to do what we know
how, what we have been doingall of our life.
But sometimes we forgot thatwe're in a different moment of
our lives and we are stillmoving in the same direction,
thinking that everything isgoing to change and it's just
about time.
So it's very important to begintaking the risk to do the
(21:12):
things different so you can havedifferent results, and not
everybody can understand that soeasily as you did.
That's why you succeeded sofast.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Very good, thank you.
So if someone thinks they'resuffering from symptoms of
anxiety or depression, whereshould they turn for help?
What's the first thing theyshould do?
Speaker 2 (21:30):
I think that any approach to a certificate
medical health care, mentalhealth care it's like they can
identify what you need, like ifyou need to go to a psychiatrist
or you need just therapy or,most of the time, both of them.
What we need to be carefulabout living here is that you
(21:54):
can find a psychologist in anycorner of the city, but you need
to be sure that they have theright certifications right right
because sometimes there'sanother thing, like it's very
peculiar from this place andit's like something that I call
the shanty shanty.
Here you have, or you can find,like a lot of magical thoughts
(22:18):
about energy, about ayahuasca,about chamanes, like and it's
very common that people go therebefore coming right.
They're looking for the crystalsto solve their problems rather
than psychotherapy or whateverexactly something I hear a lot
every day is like I'm cominghere because you're at my last
option, I've had done all thealternative therapies.
(22:41):
Nothing works, so just go intoa professional.
It doesn't matter if it'spsychologist or psychiatrist, if
it's something, if it's anethical professionalist, he or
she can refer you to thetreatment that you need okay,
(23:01):
very good, if you had advice foranyone thinking about retiring
and moving to Mexico, like I did.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
I retired young.
I retired earlier than mostpeople retire.
But if they're moving to Mexico, or anywhere in the world for
that matter, what would youradvice be and what are some
things they may not be thinkingabout?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Okay, okay, before talking about retire, I will
give an advice.
Don't forget to enjoy your lifeby the time your retirement
comes, because unfortunately, Ialso see a lot of stories of
people that their dream was likeretire and coming here to
Rivera Maya and achieving thatgoal.
They didn't pay attention tothe health, to the family, to
(23:46):
relationships, and now they arehere in the place they wanted to
be, but alone and sick.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Right.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Oh, yes, yes, Thinking of retirement.
It's perfect.
I plan about that, but don'tforget to enjoy the road to go
there.
That's my first advice Don'tforget to live every day.
And once you retire, it's likewe need to understand that at
(24:12):
the end it's a grief, it's adifferent moment of our life and
when we have a grief it's validto feel what we need and what
we want to feel we are not onlylike stop seeing our friends,
our community, of all our life.
We're also like moving to a newplace.
(24:36):
So we need to be compassionatewith ourselves.
So, yes, we're going to feelsadness and sometimes we're
going to be like very happy, andsometimes we can cry and it's
OK.
It's OK not to be OK.
Yeah, right, and living thatprocess and give up, give
(24:56):
ourselves to, to, to, to, toclose like that cycle of our
work and productive life andbegin something new, it's new.
I always say that retirement islike going to school the first
day of school.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Yes, yeah, you're starting something brand new
that you don't even know whatyou're going to learn or what
you're going to do yet.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
Exactly, but as children we are not so
complicated and we are alwaysopen to learn new things.
So it's the same attitude thatwe can have in the retirement,
like I'm going to let the lifeto surprise me and I'm going to
be open to learn how this newadventure in life goes without
(25:48):
pushing the things.
And that's it Like don't try todo what you used to do before
your retirement.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Right, right, I would agree with you and I learned a
lot from you, and you are one ofmy most admired people that
I've met since I moved here.
I just want to say that, so, so, one of the things that we do,
we have a lighthearted traditionon this podcast and we call it
uh K padre, k malo, and it'slike we ask our guests one thing
(26:21):
that they love about living inthis area and they love about
Mexico or Quintana Roo, orwhatever, and the other one is
Que Malo, something that notnecessarily that they hate, but
something that they're stilladapting to is the way that we
like to say it.
So could you give me a QuePadre and a Que Malo?
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Okay, a Que Padre is that there's no traffic.
Well, there is more than 12years ago that I arrived here,
but it's like I can go from oneplace to another without being
hours in my car.
Like that's a que padre.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Unlike Mexico City right.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Mexico City.
You can stay three hours inyour car just going from one
place to another.
So so that's a que padre and aque malo.
It's a very hard question yeahand I'm going to explain you why
.
I'm sure you want an answerfrom me, but but if I just pay
(27:27):
attention to the que mal, I'mnot going to be able to enjoy
the good things that I have here.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
You won't be able to enjoy the Que Padre yes.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
And I know that moving from Mexico City to here,
there were a lot of things thatI'm not going to have.
But you can have everything, atleast not at the same time.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Right.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Or maybe the Kemalo.
It's like that cultural lifethat you can have in Mexico City
, like museums, theater, likeconcerts, like a lot of things.
I think that will be the Kemalo, but it's not so Kemalo.
Yeah, I have other things here.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
I completely understand what you're saying,
because we used to love, youknow, plays and concerts and
that kind of thing, and it'sjust not something that's here.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
You cannot move to a new place like thinking all the
time in all the things you leftRight, right.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Things you don't have .
Speaker 2 (28:25):
If not, you're not going to be able to adapt to a
new place.
So, yes, there are a lot ofKemalos, but they are small
Kemalos.
There are more good things thanbad things.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Right.
That's why you're here, I wouldtotally agree.
Well, thank you so much, drKitsia Ruiz Navarro, for sharing
your insights with us on expatslike us.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Thank you.
To you, it was a pleasure to behere and congratulations for
this space and to shareexperiences with other expats.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Very good.
Thank you so much.
Thank you to you.
Bye-bye, bye.
From my personal experience, thebest mental health care begins
with your own medical doctor.
That's how I was referred to,dr Kitsia.
It's a great place to start.
Here are some more mentalhealth resources available in
English for expats in Mexico andaround the world.
(29:17):
Ola Therapy is a team ofinternational and
multidisciplinary therapists.
They're based in Mexico Cityand work primarily with the
international community.
They offer therapy in Englishand Spanish.
Their services includeindividual therapy, couples
therapy, family therapy andworking with children and teens.
They are an inclusive serviceas well, being LGBTQ plus
(29:38):
friendly and welcome people fromall walks of life.
You can find them atholatherapymx that's
H-O-L-A-T-H-E-R-A-P-Y dot M-XBetterHelp, where you can tap
into the world's largest networkof credentialed and experienced
therapists who can help youwith a range of issues,
including depression, anxiety,relationships, trauma, grief and
(30:01):
more.
With their therapists, you getthe same professionalism and
quality you would expect from anin-office therapist, but with
the ability to communicate whenand how you want.
They're found at BetterHelpcom.
Onlinetherapycom is based onCognitive Behavioral Therapy.
They're a dedicatedonline-based team of consultants
(30:21):
, therapists, cognitivebehavioral therapists,
practitioners and support staffthat work collaboratively to
help people in need of emotionalsupport.
You can find them atonlinetherapycom.
In each episode of Expats LikeUs, we're going to teach you a
new Mexican slang word.
This is something you may notfind in your phrasebook or your
(30:43):
online Spanish class or yourSpanish app or wherever you're
learning your Spanish.
Instead, this is a term usedprimarily by Mexican Spanish
speakers.
Today's word is Naco.
Naco, how do you spell that?
Speaker 2 (31:00):
N-A-C-O.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
N-A-C-O Naco.
What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Naco is basically a person who is not well-educated,
ghetto, clumsy, doesn't knowwhat's going on.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Okay, very cool.
Don't be a NACO.
Don't act like you're a NACO.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
All right.
Gracias to Erica Kowalski fromMi Vida Margarita.
We'd love to hear your thoughtson today's topic.
Just look up Expats Like Us onFacebook or send us an email at
expatslikeus at gmailcom.
You can also see the videoversion of today's discussion
(31:38):
and all of our discussions onour YouTube page.
Follow, like, subscribe andleave us a review.
Thank you to today's guest, drAkitsia Ruiz Navarro, for
sharing her insight.
Thanks also to Chris and EricaKowalski and Sherry Bussey.
(32:00):
Most of all, thank you fortuning in to Expats Like Us and
thank you for interacting withus on social media.
Next time, we'll bring you fortuning in to Expats Like Us and
thank you for interacting withus on social media.
Next time, we'll bring you morefirsthand information about
your international move.
We'll see you again in twoweeks.
Until then, remember our homesare not defined by geography or
one particular location, but bymemories, events, people and
(32:21):
places that span the globe.
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