Skip to main content

The Stigma of Mental Health in Black Community



                                                                                                                  
themindofmarvin.wordpress.com( Debose,2016)


Today it seems that mental illness is an issue that is hardly spoken about in society, particularly in the black community.Many people tend to associate mental illness with being crazy or delusional but it is definitely a discussion that we need to have. There are many mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar ,(ADHD) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ,this is a mental disorder that is characterized by difficulties paying attention or  completing tasks and others just to name a few . These illnesses are experience by our very own families and loved ones. Some family members   tend to not see the signs or notice  it as their child just  acting out ,but most of the times there are a lot of children that suffer from these illnesses and grow into adults who live very complicated lives .

The reason why this stigma is solely attached  to the black community is that black men in particular are  viewed as strong and lacking of emotion. If a man is seen crying or openly discussing his feelings he is immediately seen as weak. Many are not given the chance to openly talk about their feelings and what is bothering them. The only time a man can let go some steam is when he is in his mancave-that is chilling with his friends-There seems to be a shame in seeking treatment and its almost normalized or seen as cool as no one wants to talk about it. "Black African Caribbean men are up to 6.6 times as likely to be admitted as inpatients or detained under the Mental Health Act as the average population."(Black History,2016).

Why is there a stigma? Now, "during slavery, mental illness often resulted in a more inhumane lifestyle including frequent beatings and abuse, which forced many slaves to hide their issues. Over time, strength became equated with survival and weakness (including mental illness) meant you might not survive."(Hamm,2012). So as you can see  ,it is a deep issue and openly speaking about it equates you as being weak.This has been an issue that has long plague the black community and now we are getting a little head way in addressing it.  I believe we need to do more. It is important to check up on friends and love ones because its definitely time!!!



Question:How do you think mental health issues should be addressed in the black community?

        Email   : tashiblue114@gmail .com
        Follow : Instagram teliee24

Comments

  1. Alesha CayenneJuly 23, 2018 at 6:00 PM

    Very nice topic dear, things like this we take for granted and we need to break every chains and throw away the stigma of mental health. As well as embrace it, live a positive life and keep on educating people so they too can accept themselves and accept others. Peace, love and unity.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Importance of Sunlight

   For centuries man has had the notion that the sun has healing properties even so , there have been many practices of different cultures that use the sun for various health reasons. Through the years , this view has changed as many medical professionals  and  individuals have lamented on  sunbathing being completely dangerous to the skin and it being the leading cause of skin cancers, whilst the sun may be  play a factor in skin cancers, it is important to mention  that "t here are several factors involved in the appearance of skin cancer. For instance, it may come from   repeated exposure and sunburn, skin prototype,  genetic factors, and age,   among others. The areas of skin that are most susceptible to cancer are the most commonly exposed to the sun such as the face, hands, and neck.  Sunburns greatly increase the risk of skin cancer . The type of skin is also decisive: people with lighter skin and eyes are at a higher ri...
2 comments
Read more

Caring For The Feet

Caring For The Feet Embarrassing situations happen all the time , but there are somethings that we can  definitely  prevent ,  for example  not caring for our feet. On a regular basis it is expose to bacteria , dirt  and many other germs , it being the" ride or die" of our daily adventures we ought to do right by our soldiers . In today's blog I will be discussing some important facts about the feet, why its the most neglected part of the human anatomy, feet conditions and some steps in caring for them. The feet is located at the most distal part of our body , it is  a part of our body that is used excessively and because of this , it is necessary that attention must be payed to this area. The feet is made of  three sections;  the  forefoot , midfoot and hindfoot. the forefoot is made of the five toes( phalanges).  The midfoot is  a pyramid like collection of bones that form the arches of the feet  (Hoffman , 2021). The ...
1 comment
Read more