Mental Health and We

There’s so many topics flying around in my head that I want to discuss and that I find relevant for our current times. But undoubtedly, I believe a mental wellness check in, is at the top of the list. From politics to generational trauma to life stresses to every -ism possible, I think this is a perfect time to do a blog post about mental health, specifically for us in the Black community as we are more hesitant to seek out treatment or help. This is due to various reasons such as mistrust with the medical community, barriers to access + resources, stigmas within our community, and lack of knowledge.

I recently co-hosted a webinar on mental health and the Black community and the feedback was extremely positive, with the attendees wanting more practical and real life examples of how to care for our mental health, with the goal of inching closer and closer to overall mental wellness. I think this conversation is extremely important and vital to our continued growth as a community. This is how we resist against all odds.

Let’s think of our mental health in the same regard as our physical health, it’s something that everyone has. Though, where people are on the physical health continuum varies with some people more in shape and having overall better physical health and with others having physical health illnesses and disorders. Just like some people have mental illnesses or conditions, while others don’t. Also, it can be situational, for example, breaking your leg impairs your physical health temporarily or postpartum depression after giving birth affects your mental health.

Improving our mental health can sometimes be as simple as it is improving our physical health, we just need the tools, access, and culturally relevant resources + treatment. Just like physical health, it starts with preventative measures. Let’s start with the basics: by taking note of your own moods, emotions, or physical complaints. There are online screenings from mental health organizations, such as Mental Health America, that can be done to assess your mental health (anxiety, depression, abuse, etc) if you have concerns. Beyond screenings and tests, you can start implementing various wellness tools. Everyone’s mental health journey will be different, just like everyone’s physical health journey is different. Some people prefer the gym while others like Pilates classes or walking. There is no one size fits all for mental wellness. Some wellness tools that can be started on your own include journaling, breathing exercises, coloring books, grounding exercises, or sound healing. Also, regularly seeing a primary care provider (or primary OB-GYN for us ladies) is important as they are the frontline to discussing your mental health and getting appropriate work up completed.

Just like with physical illnesses, sometimes to manage mental health, expert advice is needed for treatment. There are organizations, like Black Mental Health Alliance and National Alliance on Mental Illness that will help connect you to therapists and providers, including Black, LGBQT, and/or faith based ones. Treatment can include talk therapy, medications, or brain stimulation therapy.

For me personally, I have been screened for depression (+ postpartum), utilized psychotherapy, journal consistently, use coloring books, added yoga to my weekly routine, repeat positive affirmations every day, and it varies week to week, and sometimes all I need is some rest. It took a lot for me to be intentional in my own self-care and I am better for it.

We are in this together. The first step is to do a check in with yourself, you don’t have to wait to see a specialist to start adding to your wellness tool kit.

K