BEING The World According To Us

Here we are again, addressing the pervasive disrespect of appropriation. This time, we unpack the controversy of white scholars writing about Black women, namely the very public shutdown of the recent published work of Jennifer M. Buck, a Caucasian professor of practical theology at Azusa Pacific University who thought herself qualified to set her hand to the topic of trap feminism. Because "antiracist work is the work of white people to do". Ma'am??? Tap in and share this episode with friends, this is the one right here!

So, it's 2022. Two plus years plus inside of a pandemic, and we are living with a "new normal". Add to the mix, political and social unrest. We are not okay.....okay? The Doctors dive in and discuss coping in these still yet uncertain times. Self care? Yes, please. But what let's dig deeper and unpack just what it means.

To quote iconic comedian Chris Rock, are you single and lonely, or married and bored? This week, we flashback to a previously unreleased episode of BEING, when The Doctors discuss love during covid. How does a global pandemic affect how we operate in relationships? What happens when you're NOT home alone for a year straight? What's your first move when you're finally vaxxed and waxed?? Does the cutie in the produce section get your number, or nah? Jump in and get some comic relief with The Doctors and their covid dating chronicles.

There is a saying in the mental health services community that, "...recovery is about progression, and not perfection!" In this episode, The Doctors tackle the epitome of imperfection, the polar opposite of recovery...the issue of addiction. Addiction has many faces. It is not just substance use, and it does not just affect the lower socioeconomic class. Recovery can be just as nuanced. Listen in as The Doctors give insight, and call out (as only they can) the unhealthy mechanisms that many choose to get through this thing called life.

May 25, 2021 marked one year from the tragic death of George Floyd - and the spark of racial reckoning here in the United States. A recent study published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health documents the undeniable fact of racial disparity in deaths resulting at the hands of police in America. Black people are shot and killed by police at 2.6 times the rate of white people. Among unarmed victims, Black people are killed at three times the rate of whites. Worse, the average age of Black people killed by police is 30, and this very year we witnessed teenagers as young as 15 lose their life in a police encounter. So after approximately 241 Black people being shot to death by police in 2020, and 62 by the end of April 2021...we are tired, to say the least. Mentally exhausted. What do you do, and how do you cope when the cutting down of Black life in the streets of America has become public entertainment phenomena? The Doctors weigh in on the existence, the impacts, and the ripple affects of Black trauma, and how important it is to preserve your peace in such a time as this.

It's May. A big time of year for parents all over the country, celebrating their sons and daughters transitioning from teens and students to full grown adults. A beautiful thing to watch. When it is. Sometimes the family dynamic is not so pretty. Sometimes it's downright toxic. And damaging. And the outcomes are not so polished, but rather raw and yes, even irreparable. Cue in Kirk Franklin, and the situation we all witnessed on social media. We had a whole session on it. Since it's Mental Health Awareness Month, and we've been covering the topics of trauma and blurred lines, it's only right that we share this previously unreleased episode and air our perspectives on what happens when the parent-child relationship is in breakdown.

We've all seen the fallout on social media pertaining to self-professed relationship influencer Derrick Jaxn and his "situation". But can we talk about that for a minute? Because as mental health professionals, we see clear and present danger when someone takes to The Gram in a bonnet and declares their loyalty to someone who clearly has issues with being loyal to them. Is his a case of someone maintaining and exhibiting their faith in the midst of a difficult situation? Or is Sis in need of an intervention? All memes, jokes and shade aside, what does her public response say, from The Doctors' perspective? Let's talk about it!

We've gone through so much over the last year. A worldwide pandemic. School and business shutdowns. Economic and political turmoil. Social unrest. Survival mode is a natural defense mechanism, but is it healthy? The Doctors do a deep dive into trauma to help us understand what it is, and how to recognize it. Do you operate out of trauma? What about your children? Your friends? Your co-workers? Let's talk about it, and see what the behaviors we see on a regular basis are actually telling us.

Can we talk about this Malcolm and Marie movie?! There is so much to unpack, so many layers of narcissism, insecurity, and attachment. The Doctors offer their perspectives on the many unhealthy behaviors portrayed by Malcolm, the coping mechanisms used by Marie, and the how this explosive portrayal of toxicity in a relationship so perfectly demonstrates why you don't waste your time or your peace in an unhealthy relationship.

In previous episodes, we've touched on the taboo of therapy in the Black community, so we thought we'd tackle the subject head on to shed some light on what therapy is, what it isn't, and what benefits it offers to one's overall quality of life. Join The Doctors in this enlightening conversation, and evaluate for yourself if maybe perhaps the proverbial therapy couch is a viable option.