I decided to research a little bit about how many people in the United States are diagnosed with a mental illness. I learned that 10 million Americans suffer from a severe mental illness, that's about 1 in 25 people. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, African Americans are 20% more likely to suffer from a mental illness, due to the added stress we endure such as the microaggression in the workplace/school environment. We also need to STOP disregarding the high rate of African American LGBTQ youth suicides that happen in the U.S every year.
African Americans may not be dying in the highest number due to suicide, but are they certainly dying at the hands of others.
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| We can talk about that in another post. |
As a community we need to first ask ourselves these questions:
Why do we still have a problem with our mental health?
In our community, it's always known that we are resilient and can bounce back from anything life throws at us. Our history of oppression and the constant prejudice is something that we deal with every day, so it's easy to say that it takes a lot to break us. Although times are changing and we are more open about mental illness, there was a time when we thought mental illness was something that could be cured by simply going to church, ignoring it or mistaking it as a weakness. When in reality we can't fix a chemically imbalanced brain without addressing it as what it is. Depression shouldn't just be put on the back burner as something that someone should just get over. Bipolar Disorder isn't when someone is just moody or has an attitude. These are just as serious as illnesses you can physically see.
Where do we start?
We can start by simply acknowledging that mental health is just as important as your physical health. I know that many people become ashamed to voice how they feel or if they notice any changes mentally. Some even fear that they will not be taken seriously or even worse, they will be considered an outcast. I've noticed that many people who are in stressful situations are dealing with a lot of these issues alone. (I'm guilty of this myself, I'm working on it!) This means that they will not talk to people about what they are feeling, which causes people to shut down and carry this load of emotions on their shoulders. Remember that certain traumatizing or stressful situations can invoke a change in your mental health and that it is okay to talk to someone! I also noticed that sometimes when we see our friends or family going through something that creates a whole different person, we may not suggest therapy or even educate them about their symptoms. Let them know that you're there for them and even suggest something helpful, rather than ignoring their fragile mental state.
As someone who struggles with opening up about their emotions and tends to keep them bottled up. I know that the people I surround myself with love me and don't mind if I need to vent and cry on their shoulder, I know I'd do the same for them. So I realize it can be difficult to call up a loved one, but I promise you will feel better about your situation when you're done talking to them. If that doesn't work for you try utilizing an outlet to express yourself. There are various ways to express your emotions when you feel that you can't verbally express what you're exactly feeling. For example, I knew from a young age that writing was the best way for me isolate my feelings and even made it easier for me address what emotions I was dealing with.
If you are ever in a situation where you or someone you know have been contemplating suicide make sure to contact the following link and number below.
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A/N: I wish that I could've gone a bit deeper into this subject, but with it being such a broad topic I had to make sure I touched on certain things to get my point across. I want us to be able to bring up this topic in our homes and between our friends without feeling that it's not acceptable or not a possibility in our community. I hope this opens up more conversations about mental health, as well as people taking their own mental health seriously.
In our community, it's always known that we are resilient and can bounce back from anything life throws at us. Our history of oppression and the constant prejudice is something that we deal with every day, so it's easy to say that it takes a lot to break us. Although times are changing and we are more open about mental illness, there was a time when we thought mental illness was something that could be cured by simply going to church, ignoring it or mistaking it as a weakness. When in reality we can't fix a chemically imbalanced brain without addressing it as what it is. Depression shouldn't just be put on the back burner as something that someone should just get over. Bipolar Disorder isn't when someone is just moody or has an attitude. These are just as serious as illnesses you can physically see.
Where do we start?
We can start by simply acknowledging that mental health is just as important as your physical health. I know that many people become ashamed to voice how they feel or if they notice any changes mentally. Some even fear that they will not be taken seriously or even worse, they will be considered an outcast. I've noticed that many people who are in stressful situations are dealing with a lot of these issues alone. (I'm guilty of this myself, I'm working on it!) This means that they will not talk to people about what they are feeling, which causes people to shut down and carry this load of emotions on their shoulders. Remember that certain traumatizing or stressful situations can invoke a change in your mental health and that it is okay to talk to someone! I also noticed that sometimes when we see our friends or family going through something that creates a whole different person, we may not suggest therapy or even educate them about their symptoms. Let them know that you're there for them and even suggest something helpful, rather than ignoring their fragile mental state.
As someone who struggles with opening up about their emotions and tends to keep them bottled up. I know that the people I surround myself with love me and don't mind if I need to vent and cry on their shoulder, I know I'd do the same for them. So I realize it can be difficult to call up a loved one, but I promise you will feel better about your situation when you're done talking to them. If that doesn't work for you try utilizing an outlet to express yourself. There are various ways to express your emotions when you feel that you can't verbally express what you're exactly feeling. For example, I knew from a young age that writing was the best way for me isolate my feelings and even made it easier for me address what emotions I was dealing with.
Try using a few of these methods if you ever find that your emotional level is higher than usual.
- Painting, Use paint to create how you feel, this will not only lower your stress levels but also it'll make you feel accomplished for creating something you can keep and maybe even hang around the house!
- Writing/ Journaling, Journaling can help you keep track of how you feel. This also helps with identifying what triggers certain emotions you are experiencing.
- Dancing/Exercise/Yoga, Releasing these emotions through physical movement is a sure way to feel better.
- Talk to someone, Some people find it comforting to vent and channel their feelings to another person. Someone who can give you feedback. Talk to your doctor if you have any major concerns regarding your mental health.
- Listen to Music / Sing, What's a better way to release those pent up emotions than to listen to your favorite song or even better sing your heart out to it?
- Play an instrument, You could use this time to express yourself through your music, you could even compose a tune that mimics how you feel.
As we all know that mental health affects every aspect of your life, it can affect your social interactions and it can even alter your way of thinking. Mental Disorders can vary between having severe Anxiety in social environments to developing Autism at a young age. I feel as though in the Black Community we aren't as informed about mental health as we should be. When we start educating ourselves on different mental illnesses and identifying the symptoms we open up the discussion of mental health and it's importance in our everyday life.
If you are ever in a situation where you or someone you know have been contemplating suicide make sure to contact the following link and number below.
1-800-273-8255
(National Suicide Hotline)
OR
A/N: I wish that I could've gone a bit deeper into this subject, but with it being such a broad topic I had to make sure I touched on certain things to get my point across. I want us to be able to bring up this topic in our homes and between our friends without feeling that it's not acceptable or not a possibility in our community. I hope this opens up more conversations about mental health, as well as people taking their own mental health seriously.
Amazing Article, i strongly believe educating yourself is the best way to overcome any adversities. the black community loves to turn a blind eye to anything regarding mental health articles like this redirect the stigma thank you !
ReplyDeleteThe Black community should be more aware of the importance of mental health awareness since we have the victims of the worst conditions of mental slavery known to mankind.Good topic,maybe it will enlighten some of those afraid to address their mental problems.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. This is my first time reading some of your work and I must say your touching on some subjects that need to be talked about amongst our community and subgroups. Thank you for giving a voice to those who are struggling.
ReplyDelete