Many African-Americans have difficulty recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions, leading to underestimating the effects and impact of mental health conditions. Some may think of depression as "the blues" or something to snap out of. Because of the lack of information surrounding mental health issues, it's not always clear where to find help when you may need it.
We will be discussing numerous mental health illnesses that plague the black community.
i. Intro - Jamal Mcelrath bka Jodeci De'Vonta Moses of Union City, Tennessee March 24,2021 took his own life after a police chase that was filmed on his Facebook live.
“Should begin with current references or events pertaining to the subject (For example Daunte Wright)”
Are we the black community Steeped in Stigma?
“The stigma of mental health isn’t new to the Black community. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reportedly had severe depression during periods of his life and refused psychiatric treatment, even when urged to seek care by his staff. Unfortunately, that scenario continues to be common today, with African Americans not seeking mental health care because of stigma.”
Reasons why so few African Americans receive mental health care include:
• Poor cultural understanding by therapists
African Americans develop mental health conditions at a rate equal to anyone else. They also experience trauma as a result of living within a society of systemic racism.
What are traumatic stressors?
Define - Trauma affects individuals in numerous ways. Traumatic events may include a car crash, rape, domestic abuse, military combat, or violent crime.
Many children and adults are able to effectively process a traumatic incident and go on with their lives with little or no lasting negative effect, but for many individuals, psychological trauma may set in. Those affected by trauma may develop extreme anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or they may have ongoing problems with relationships and self-esteem.
Let’s talk about the 3 main objectives for traumatic stress:
What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
PTSD is a mental health condition that may be diagnosed by a professional when someone has experienced a traumatic event and is having particular types of problems as a result. The major types of symptoms experienced by people with PTSD include:What is Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)?
C-PTSD is a mental health condition that also may be diagnosed by a professional when someone has experienced a traumatic event. C-PTSD shares many symptoms in common with PTSD, including re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal, as described above.What is Posttraumatic Slave syndrome.
An aspect specific to PTSS is racial socialization and internalized racism, which includes the direct and indirect messages children receive about racism and the meaning of race.“Simplify objectives” for your street audience members by using your self experiences. Use a credible reference to help define that experience and
*If they want to know more… we will post the reference in the comments and later in the description on Anchor.
