I felt a need to write this introduction and give anyone who may be reading my upcoming posts an idea of what will be discussed… This post doesn’t hold the details I want to share but gives a small overview of what I will be sharing over the upcoming months. I hope the introduction makes sense, if anyone has anything to add, or any questions please, leave a comment or message me. P
lease note I will be covering the topic of Mental Health in the Black community in every aspect I’ve yet to come up with, but if you feel there is anything missing again, I please share.
It is important to know as a trigger warning that the upcoming posts will speak of topics such as suicide and mental health among all ages, including very young children. I will be sharing a few stories in detail and will put warnings on them also because I don’t want anyone triggered; on the contrary, -and I am sure you will- I hope everyone feels the disgust at this racist country and just how low it goes, I hope you will fell the sickness in the pit of your stomach and the rage in your veins as facts and information on mental health that has been ignored for far too long -especially suicide, and suicidal behaviors.
I will be discussing the current tragedy with the little children, children being 5- 12 years of age, first due to its intensity and rarity. Also I hope it will give reason for anyone who otherwise would not consider the very real concrete fact of mental illness, and be able to learn to embrace it, the mind is power… Just because a physical ailment isn’t held doesn’t lessen the severity or risk of death by any means.
My plan on doing this in sum is:
Posting this as a very brief introduction to let you guys know I haven’t backe dout, I just have been frustrated with compressing a topic that needs the opposite of compression. Splitting it into different posts should help with that. And these upcoming posts will consist of more detailed essays in relation to mental health, mental illness, what it means and why it is not something to shun or be ashamed of.
Open dialogue is past due and I hope these posts can assist in finding a place of understanding or acceptance, for this has been shrugged off for far too long. It truly, truly is becoming an urgent epidemic and lives that could be saved if they only could speak out, are being lost for the inability, the “shame” and “embarrassment” – the “unmanly behavior” of speaking up and most importantly, speaking out, when you are struggling mentally.
Speaking from a psychological stand point, I will be discussing different types of trauma, what it does to the development of the human brain and the lasting impact it has when not addressed and that child worked with until they are able to move on. Kids, especially young, have an amazing resilience in them. Especially during the developmental stages. If trauma is stopped and proper care given -and the big one, the situation changed as well, a child can go on, more like than not, to live their lives without the trauma following them into adulthood and manifesting into a mental health crisis of any form.
With that, I will share what has been proven to work, but it will take the community to unify and for that we have to get this violence to stop. It is all the same source, just as Ta-Nehisi Coates talks about in Between the World and Me, I know it seems impossible; most of my loved ones think it a hopeless fight; but it isn’t. After this series, I will be posting facts, laws and policies formed on racism and still fueled by that same sick racist mentality. Knowledge is the key; the ancestors tell us that! Evil cannot last or win forever; it’s time is coming to an end = but we have to be aware, we must also take action… I admit I don’t know how to stop the violence, but there has to be a way… There HAS to be, it is not impossible.
And we start to create hope by working on figuring out what that exactly is we need to be doing to stop the insanity on the streets, and in the legal system. They don’t expect anyone to stand up against it; and for that reason it must be done.
A little bit more of things to come is a theory I want to share from a book I recently read. In fact, I last posted a review on that very book, Black Suicide. It’s a psychological theory of suicide by life style, in short, and I hope in some way it will open eyes and help everyone to aid in stopping the readiness to die in far too many young men and women.
I will be discussing the medical history of Black people in America and the cruel, unacceptable “treatments” forced upon innocent men, women and children- of course, this has an impact on how things are perceived today.
.What is really frustrating me is the repeated, “and we don’t know what the cause of this rise in suicide is”- it doesn’t take much brilliance to easily see the reasons in my opinion, which I will discuss in upcoming posts. And I truly beg each and every reader to add their words to increase awareness, open communication and most importantly, help educate people on what sources there are for this relatively new research. [Research showed Black children and suicide to be a higher risk in the early 1990s. Not that it matters when it comes down to the facts, for those who want a stamp of validity on this topic, you have it now as finally, this research has been once again conducted, reviewed and confirmed as truth by JAMA and many other related American Medical Association (AMA) research journals.
As I have noted I will be sharing my research on how racism impacts the development and growth of Black children and youth. This research has taken me far beyond any realm I had before imagined I am sad to say. I want to share it with anyone willing to listen because racism, lack of family and denial of mental health care all are feeding a vicious, racist cycle.
I also believe it is important to explore the reasons, history, culture and other behind the taboo views of mental health within a great deal of the community. What can be done to stop, or help as much as possible, this tragic epidemic is my ultimate question and ideas will be shared however mine nor yours are any good unless first we can get across and grasp the fact that yes, mental illness is real and it does inflict its torment on people, all people are at risk for mental illness; be it something common as depression or more severe such as PTSD or personality disorders. There is no shame in this.
There is only shame in not being able to talk about it. In allowing trauma and illness to manifest in a people and expect them to deal with it, not speak on it, that is where the shame lies. That is where too many unwarranted deaths lie. That is where behavioral problems stem. Of all racial groups, I believe the Black community has an overwhelming amount of trauma to deal with daily that others don’t understand or know about.
The trauma of being targeted by those who are supposed to protect, by the government period and many other afflictions needs to be talked about. The place I believe we should start is with the children. It is here, with precious young, Black children research shows a peak in suicide, one that is only increasing. I’m talking about 4, 5 year olds taking their own life. This should be a national emergency, but it is not and that makes it even more important the people make sure to end the stigma, and open up about their own emotions, as well as learn how to help others; especially the children.
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While waiting for the next post and video I felt it crucial to post this. Mental health is stigmatized enough, but personality disorders in particular are something that most people -regardless of what ‘color’ they are or where they come from- tend to want to ignore, sadly.
Research and Writings on a Growing Crisis 