Mental Health and African-American Women

Too often, by the time African-American women seek mental health treatment, the illness has progressed to a much more severe stage than is seen in other demographic groups. Resilience is a strength that develops through the experience of overcoming adversity, but there is a limit to what any of us can safely endure. The African-American tendency to endure stress with more tolerance, while beneficial in certain

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How Black Women Tell Our Stories with Silence

A friend of mine once swore never to tell her whole story to another person. She wanted to ensure her own words could never be used against her. While others might have recoiled at such an admission, I did not. I understood completely because I too had sewn parts of myself closed never to be revealed to another person.

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Cutting: A Well-Kept Secret in the Black Community

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) rates have increased dramatically over recent years. Conservative estimates put the rates below 10% while average estimates suggest nearly 1 in 4 youth has engaged in NSSI (the rate for psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents is significantly higher).

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Black Women and Mental Health

At the beginning of the 21st Century African American women find themselves achieving new heights and reaching new milestones. Education and hard work has enabled them to achieve successful careers and respect in mainstream society. Despite this good news, Black women still find themselves lagging behind Whites and other women in health and mental health indices.

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Why Are Mental Health Problems Treated Less In The Black Community?

Unfortunately, Blacks tend to receive less treatment for mental health. Why? There are a different reasons, but it’s partially due to a very strong, very pervasive stigma in the community about mental illness.

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Meet an Ex-Superwoman: Why I Had to Divorce My Demons

Yep, I’ve decided to get a divorce! No, not from a significant other, husband, friend or job. It’s a more important divorce. This divorce is not amicable or mutually decided upon. It is due to irreconcilable differences. Those differences are many, but they all boil down to one issue: I will no longer be a Superwoman!

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Black and Blue: On Being Black, Female, and Depressed

They say the first step to recovery is admitting the problem… I have a love-hate relationship with my snooze button. It is both a reminder that I have something to do and that I probably don’t have the energy needed to do it. I have been majorly depressed for as far back as my memory will take me. Getting out of bed has often required more effort than I am able to exert.

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Black Mental Health: 3 Myths That Hurt Us

What you think you understand about African Americans and mental health may be dead wrong. This might be difficult to accept, particularly because African Americans have taken pride in the myths about our mental health. We believe that mental health is controlled by willpower, faith and even our race. Even experts align with these misguided beliefs, ultimately affecting the way we view mental health in our community and how we take care of ourselves.

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When the Blues Don’t Move, Part 1: The Stigma and the Shame

Sometimes it’s an invisible pain. Sometimes Mommy hurts and you don’t even know it. This is my story of depression, looking back.

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Because of Bipolar Disorder, I Wasn’t Sure I’d Make It to 25

My Thing Is: The diagnosis took away my sanity, my appetite, my type A personality and any certainty I had that I’d live to see this milestone.

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