LATV  ‘Entre Hermanos…Love, Your Mind’ Event Recap

In a groundbreaking live event fostering mental health discussions within the Latino community, LATV hosted the ‘Entre Hermanos Love, Your Mind’ event as part of the Love, Your Mind campaign, a collaborative effort from the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the Ad Council.

The initiative focuses on breaking cultural barriers and inspiring Latino men to prioritize their mental well-being, providing a safe space for open conversations.

Watch the full live event on LATV+. 

Mike Alfaro, creator of Millennial Lotería, and a marketing creative-turned-entrepreneur,  steered the insightful discussion, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to dismantle mental health stigmas.

To kick things off, licensed marriage and family therapist Alejandro Sandoval, LMFT, shed light on the cultural factors affecting mental health in the Latino community. Sandoval discussed the taboo surrounding vulnerability in men and the importance of creating environments where individuals can express their emotions without fear of judgment.

“It’s that taboo or fear of something that is not really there. For men, this is a big factor…

Allowing men to really hold on to those feelings, providing those environments where they can do that without the fear of being judged or perceived as weak,” Sandoval explained.

LAUGHTER FOR MENTAL WELLNESS

During the event, LATV’s own host, storyteller Humberto Guida, shared his personal journey of resilience, injecting humor into his practical and psychological approach to challenging times. “Don’t let a good depression go to waste,” Guida said. 

Guida shared the following four tips to encourage everyone to develop resilience through diverse practices.

• Find a passion, something to focus on
• Decide to get back up after hitting rock bottom
• Channel energy into something positive
• Explore calming techniques like breathwork

“You develop a practice and a path and when you hit a low again, you can get back up because you’ve been through it before,” Guida added.

HUMOR AS A WAY TO GET FAMILIES TO OPEN UP

The dynamic duo, MexicanGueys (Bryan and Jairo), brought humor and relatability to the conversation, highlighting the importance of open communication, especially during life-changing events such as parenthood.

“There are a lot of changes going on in your life that you have to adjust to. One of them is raising a kid,” Bryan said. “You’re never prepared to be a dad. You were raised a certain way, and you wanna make changes that are healthy, but now you wanna do something different. Good medicine is always talking. Talk to the people that you love, express yourself, how you feel.”

They also emphasized that crying is a healthy outlet for emotions and discussed how humor serves as a powerful tool for initiating conversations about mental health.

“To be honest, that’s how Mexican Gueys was created. It’s a way of showing who we are and how we grew up … We have characters that we use like the typical uncle, the dad. And that’s how we bring [family matters] into humor, ” Jairo explained.

To top the conversation off, actor and comedian LGNDFRVR joined the discussion and shared his own mental health journey, emphasizing the early onset of struggles, the importance of acknowledging them, and addressing mental health issues from a young age.

“It starts at a very young age, and if you don’t acknowledge it sooner, it can go on into adulthood,” LGNDFRVR said, adding: “[I have three kids now] It’s a tough battle but I think when you acknowledge something like this and have the strength to come out and say ‘hey I’m dealing with this.’ it becomes a little bit easier and your silent battles become battles that people do acknowledge.”

LGNDFRVR encouraged using social media as a positive outlet for creativity and expression, and challenged the notion that high follower counts necessarily negatively impact mental health. LGNDFVR’s advice to turn weakness into strength resonated, promoting the idea that vulnerability is a source of strength. “When you feel that something is your weakest point, use it as your biggest strength. Even your superhero can cry sometimes.”

The ‘Entre Hermanos Love, Your Mind’ event served as a pivotal platform, sparking crucial discussions and encouraging men to prioritize their mental well-being.

Visit LoveYourMindToday.org for more information and to explore free mental health resources.