#Black Man's Mental Kryptonite
As a Black man, I can identify with the mental and emotional struggles, pit falls, challenges, disappointments, heartaches, and rejection that other groups of men only imagine as a story line in a fictional book. It is no secret that we are a culture of men within a culture, with a percentage of that culture that is bound by an abundance of very similar experiences with very similar outcomes.
20%
Blacks in America are 20% more likely to have serious psychological distress than whites are.
18 - 44
Men ages 18–44 who have had daily feelings of anxiety or depression, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic men (26.4 percent) were less likely than non-Hispanic White men (45.4 percent) to have used mental health treatments.
15 - 24
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for Black American males ages 15 to 24.
20 - 24
Black American men ages 20 to 24 have the highest suicide rate among Black Americans of all ages, male and female.
#BlackMen'sMentalHealth
Black American teenagers are more likely to attempt suicide than are White teenagers.
#BlackMen'sSafeSpace
Young Black Americans are much less likely than White youth to have used a mental health service in the year during which they seriously thought about or attempted suicide.
This information is intended to inspire young Black men to seek, find, and protect their peace.
To My Bothers in the mental struggle,
I'm awakened everyday by the "Most High All Mighty Creator" in a covering, an appearance, a representation that reminds everyone of what I am, I am "A Black Man... A descendant of the Original Hue-Man!" Like you, most days when I venture outside to experience life to the fullest extent with purpose, I am quickly reminded that I am (as a Black Man) faced with challenges that no other group of men has had or will have to face on a daily and continuous basis. It is highly insulting for another group of people (Men or Women) to say, "It has also happened to other groups of people before.", "Am I misunderstanding something...". This may be rhetorical but here it goes, "How can someone refer to the present as if we are so far removed from the past that it doesn't still exist, yet disguised as a better oppressive system?" Make it make sense to me.
Our mental anguish leaves us emotionally, mentally and socially traumatized and broken (for the most part) on a functional level.
Where and Who do we turn to?
Let's explore this together...
Scarcity of Resources and Mistrust...
are two (of a few) factors that have created barriers that leads to a lack of access to culturally responsive and appropriate mental health care. A long standing culturally indoctrinated racist ideology and bias within the healthcare system that has been documented have made some (or more) people in the Black community less likely to seek treatment. According to research and Bernice Roberts Kennedy there is a collective mistrust of healthcare and medical providers because of abuse Black patients have historically experienced under the concealment of medical testing and advancement such as, During the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviet Union spent much of their time trying to figure out if they could survive a nuclear catastrophe. The Pentagon created a program and selected unknowing African Americans to enter the seeming go-to government choice for secret experimentation. This experiment exposed 88 cancer patients, poor and mostly black, to whole body radiation, even though this type of treatment had already been pretty much discounted for the types of cancer these patients had. They were told that the treatment could help them although it was not the intent of the experiment and caused (as you can imagine) severe reactions to the radiation exposure. The Tuskegee Experiments included treatments for syphilis (a sexually transmitted disease) that was proven to be mostly toxic and ineffective because of the high dose of mercury which caused a lot of health failures including death. At some point the Government decided to approve and fund a program that would deny treatment of approximately 399 (mostly) poor, Negro Males that were diagnosed with syphilis to determine their fate. Even after penicillin was designed and proven to be effective, they were not only denied treatment they weren't told of it as a treatment. The list goes on and on. The question that often surfaces is..."how do you know when (they) are telling truth when (they) have always lied?"
Black Masculinity Norms...
are adding to these factors for Black men specifically, questioning the expectations of traditional social and cultural roles that depicts a particular type of Black man. The idea of being vulnerable and sharing our emotions has been a taboo subject within our community. It has made us more reluctant to seek help or be emotionally available when seeking relationships.
To understand what the typical stereotype of a Black man can create is to know that it can be dehumanizing and cause him to not only be invisible but worthless to others, and their psychological and emotional health suffers due to the treatment they receive and then how they see themselves. We will not even mention (at this time) the lack of love and acceptance (dare I say... within our own community, not to mention society as a whole) that many of them face can create a separate emotional struggle. It definitely does not help that we are inundated with images in film, television, and social media that depict Black men as overly masculine and, in some cases, aggressive and violent, hypersexual and emotionless. I know all too well how these depictions can create an identity within yourself and how you act and react towards others.
Black Men Are Breaking barriers...
and challenging the status quo of unspoken social norms in the Black community. In spite of these norms and the reoccurring inner struggle over vulnerability, more and more Black men are sharing their challenges with mental health with growing support from the community. In recent years, there have been growing number of Black men revealing their struggles with mental challenges such as Depression, Anxiety (Panic Attacks) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), even eating disorders just to name a few. Black men experience very distinctive challenges that other men don’t face because of the attention placed on their looks (Skin complexion, facial features, hair), bodies (representation of strength) and other physical features and characteristics —and rarely on their mental or emotional intelligence. “In many spaces, Black men are expected to be physically strong, mentally and emotionally resilient and no second thought to their overall state of mind. The Black Men's Health Project is an organization that's committed to changing the narrative and the trajectory of our health challenges especially our mental health. It's time to focus on the collective health of the Black men in our community so you can focus on your individual health.
Tips for Black Men Seeking Professional Counseling...
1. YOU have nothing to prove to anyone. If you are experiencing psychological and emotional health challenges, you have nothing to prove to anyone but yourself. If you have loved ones who depend on you then of course you should prioritize your responsibilities "BUT"... if you are not receiving the support that is necessary, then it is imperative that your priority is yourself so you can be an asset to yourself.
2. PROFESSIONAL CONSELING is entirely confidential. All counselors are professionally bound to maintain the confidentiality of their clients and are subject to losing licensure if they fail to do so. More and more professional counselors are encouraging Black men not to worry about those uncomfortable and embracing situations regardless of the circumstances. The stories, information and experiences are safe with your therapist or counselor.
3. Pick your mental health professional based on your need. When you sit down and share your deepest and darkest secrets with someone you don't know, it can be very difficult, regardless of your sexual orientation, racial or ethnic background. One of the things that is most interesting about seeking the right services is that, in most cases, you can select the professional with whom you feel most comfortable and one that specializes in a particular area such as (mental health, substance abuse, marriage and family counseling, financial, career and lifestyle, grief counseling) to name a few.
4. Counseling, therapy, and mental treatment are not for “looney or crazy” people. Like all stereotypes this is one that needs to be "retired, buried and laid to rest" for good. As one that have sought professional counseling, I would emphasize that counseling is for anyone who wants to speak with a nonbiased and objective professional in a confidential and safe environment.
I hope this helps someone that is considering or seeking professional counseling for whatever the reason, do not allow anyone to discourage you from finding and protecting your peace so you can find that piece of yourself that you need.
Author; C. R. Daniels
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