by Brenda Sutherlin
There are several ways to help relieve stress and take control over impeding circumstances in our lives. Our overall mental health, whether it affects the body or mind is imperative to the well-being of our everyday functioning.
Mental illness shows no discrimination, but the means by which it is viewed by some in the Black community is devastating to one’s overall well-being.
People of color seem to carry the mental burden of the world as a race of unwanted people. We suffer the vestiges of slavery and the stigma of being considered unintelligent. Over time this has led to a feeling of despair and a breakdown in mental health.
Along with this plight, some of us are hesitant to seek professional help because of the stigma associated with mental illness. A cry for help is not a sign of weakness but acknowledging that I’m NOT OKAY and may need help.
According to an article “Renew” in the United Health Care newsletter for Spring/Summer 2022, healing through music is one suggested way to help alleviate stress on a small scale. Times are trying and filled with anxiety. Music is a relaxing medium that can wow the spirit and uplift the soul. (
Larger and lingering issues should be diagnosed with professional help. Even when the problem is prevalent, there are some in our Black communities who have a reluctance to seek help.
Some of the factors that inhibit seeking mental health services in
the Black communities are:
- The failure to acknowledge psychological problems
- The concern about mental health stigmas, especially among Black men
- Unawareness of issues pertaining to mental illness
- Apprehension in receiving professional help but will accept some form of help, such as faith-based programs
- Some Blacks are concerned that practitioners who are not culturally competent in their situations will not understand their problem and misdiagnose their problem
A very small number of professional care providers are Black and who gives appropriate and effective care to the Black communities. Therefore, people of color are prone to continue to suffer in silence and not receive appropriate help. T
The general public should hold policymakers and the health care system accountable for their community and services that should be brought to underserved communities. For more information, visit the website Mental Health America website at mhanational.org or the the National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI at https://www.nami.org/Home
Please talk to someone if you are feeling “blue” and “not yourself” for a long period of time. Please do not suffer in silence. It is OK to not feel OK, but you need help for your overall wellbeing. Don’t feel the stigma of seeking help, and forgo taking care of your mental health because of the stigma that American society has placed on mental illness..