CW: Racism, Self-Harm
This week, Jen and Tesha are joined by Randi Ramdeen, for a discussion on racial trauma and mental health. Randi shares her story of growing up as a person of colour, in a small , mostly-white town. We will hear how this has impacted Randi’s overall mental health, her worldview, and her relationships. Randi takes us through her mental health journey, and decision to seek professional help, which included taking medication. Randi shares with us what she found most helpful, and how she is picking up the pieces of her life.
Topics Discussed:
(1:57) Growing up: Randi grew up in a small Ontario town, as one of few people of colour. Randi details some of the experiences she had in elementary school from name calling, to kids making fun of her lunch, to being chased, taunted, and threatened. Randi tells us how she learned to survive, and adapted to protect herself.
(8:29) Unpacking Racism: Randi describes how she eventually moved to Toronto, where she decided to take this opportunity to immerse herself in other cultures. Since she was finally in a place where she felt safe, Randi began exploring racism, and processing her experiences. Randi explains that as her feelings around racism started to surface, it began to really impact mental health. Randi describes finding her voice, and the impact that it had on her romantic and familial relationships. This leads to a discussion around the idea that we all have biases, we are all affected by racism, and that white people do not get to decide what is and isn’t racist.
(19:34) Mental health decline: Randi describes the ways in which her mental health began to decline, from getting sick, feeling depressed, and losing her hair from stress. Randi talks about feeling suicidal, and seeking help from her friends and medical professionals. “They reached through the water, grabbed my hand, and pulled me up”
(24:16) Medication: Randi describes how she tried absolutely everything before finally making the decision to take medication. Randi, Jen and Tesha have a discussion around stigma and taboos about medication and seeing a therapist.
(35:32) Activism: Randi talks about getting her motivation back, her desire to use her life experiences to help others, and her drive to always say and do whatever she can to stop the cycle of hurt.
(41:49) Randi’s advice: Finally, Randi shares her advice for others struggling with their mental health. She also shares what she found to be most helpful during her recovery.
Resources
Start the Wave www.startthewave.org
IG: @startthewave
Wondering what the reference to Don Cherry was all about? https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/don-cherry-fired
What is Racial Trauma? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/racial-trauma#what-it-is
Recommended Reading from Randi White Fragility: Why It’s So hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
Suicide Prevention Hotlines
Canada Suicide Prevention Service 833-456-4566
https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/
National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255
Randi is a Social and Political Organizing professional whose focus in life has always been to help bring about positive change. In her spare time you can often find Randi marching in meaningful protests, shopping at local health food stores, or hanging out on a patio with the wonderful group of humans she calls her family. Randi's drive for a better future led her to Start the Wave where she spends most of her time on project coordination, resource research, and caption text for social media posts.
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