The Stigma Behind Mental Health in Black Culture

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of being Black in America without judgment of expressing our mental inabilities. This should be a part of the Black agenda. Among other things are the end of systematic racism, prejudice, reparations for our ancestors, and other injustices.

Mental health in African American culture is often overlooked and either categorized as "fake news" or insignificant. Even though many individuals in the Black community dismiss mental health as an issue, "African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population, according to the Office of Minority Health", according to Mental Health America. Although the negative stigma behind mental health in African American culture is entrenched, it can be erased with the dismantling of stereotypes, increasing mental health awareness, professional care, and emotional support from family and others in the community.

The Black community has become awfully familiar with the concept of stereotypes. The Black community, along with the rest of the world, presume that black men and women are supposed to be mentally strong and able at all times. These stereotypes that the majority of the community adhere to, create a negative stigma against mental health. It's impossible for me to have enough fingers to count how many times. I've heard my family and those around me say, "We're birthed from slavery, injustice, and scars on our bodies that belonged to our ancestors. If they survived that, then we can survive this." This mentality has plagued the black household for years, and mine is no different.

Black men and women have created the illusion that sensitivity and openness to their declining mental health are weak. Dismantling the "Black superwoman" or "aggressive Black man" stereotype is key to erasing negative presumptions. In other words, Black does not equal feebleness. We are not allowed to feel what everybody else can.

At times, I often find myself masking my depression and self-harm tendencies to compensate for the lack of strong will, and therefore, my "blackness." When my mother finally discovered the array of cuts on my arms and legs, she yelled at me. She ignored my cry for help, and soon enough, it was forgotten. It took my mother three years to realize that I was not desperate for attention but that depression was a beast that affects everyone who suffers from it differently.

Like my mother, the Black community is quick to dismiss mental health diseases instead of researching and gaining more awareness. We deem it as "white people shit," but in all actuality, black teenagers are more likely to attempt suicide than their white counterparts. Mental health issues do not just apply to white individuals, and the sooner the Black community can gain knowledge about this topic, the better.

 It is no doubt that Black culture is rooted in spirituality, and while spirituality provides many benefits, it also can be damaging; this is especially true when it comes to mental health. If mental health is not ignored, it is often "prayed away." It is scientifically proven that believing in a deity lifts spirits, yet this is not the proper way to handle illness. I have been to the altar at my church repeatedly, hoping and praying that something helps. Yet, nothing did.

It was not until I was provided with professional services that my family and I understood exactly what I was going through. It was not until I sat with a psychologist that I realized that mental illness was not a dead end. Culture tells us to trust in God to heal and work miracles, but we are not taught that professional care is indeed proper as well. Keeping our spiritual roots will reassure us, but they will not provide medically inclined answers.

 It is our duty not only as African Americans but as Americans, in general, to acknowledge the hardships of those who carry mental illness. Black culture must realize that expressing your shortcomings is not a sign of weakness. The Stereotypes are just that, stereotypes. They do not dictate how you should feel nor how you should act. We need to recognize that, yes, spirituality is important, but so are professional and medical assistance. Family members need to understand that any support to a loved one dealing with mental illness is better than no help.  Our mental inabilities do not make us crazy or abnormal. They make us human, and what more could we ask for?