This lady literally flipped her shit in the grocery store and accused the cashier of stealing her food stamps when he said she didn’t have enough to cover her groceries. She made a huge scene & was screaming with her toddler in the cart. The cashier checking me out, the grocery bagger and the security guard all said, “oh she does that every month.”
???? Does no one see a problem with this? It was pretty clear that she had some sort of mental illness, yet everyone laughed at her “acting ghetto” and kept on with their shopping. I was just so disturbed by the reaction of people in the store. The security guard even threatened her with the removal of her child. WTF?!?! That sort of thing could cause a mental break. How dare you??
· Depression is a serious condition. Don’t underestimate the seriousness of depression. Depression drains a person’s energy, optimism, and motivation. Your depressed loved one can’t just “snap out of it” by sheer force of will.
· The symptoms of depression aren’t personal. …
I think that the reason mental health is trivialized is for older blacks is due to the conditions they lived in, having depression and/or anxiety was the norm, you know? Like when my grandmother used to get into one of her “we don’t need therapy we have Jesus” speeches it used to piss me off until I realized that when presented with the symptoms of depression, she honestly didn’t think that they were anything out of the ordinary of the condition of living. When you really think about it, between slavery, jim crow, segregation, etc. black people really weren’t given the option of breakin down; survival was the name of the game and you just had to go on. Massa didn’t give a damn if life as a subhuman workhorse was destroying you mentally, keep going. Boss doesn’t care that your son got lynched; keep working. I think the attitude is slowly changing and we are starting to embrace the importance of mental health. I don’t know, this is just a collection of thoughts I’ve had for awhile.
For years black people were socialized to bear whatever pain they faced and endure, with religion as the only option for refuge. I know I have been told countless times that “I need Jesus” to find the answers to my problems, and while the suggestion came from a place of love, it was of no use to my agnostic ass.
We are making great strides in understanding mental health issues and hopefully we will keep these conversations going and we’ll see more progress.
1. Take the lead: If you know someone has been unwell, don’t be afraid to ask how they are. They might want to talk about it, they might not. But just letting them know they don’t have to avoid the issue with you is important.
2. Avoid clichés: Phrases like ‘Cheer up’, ‘I’m sure it’ll…
Goddamn my sister is being such an asshole. I know she’s dealing with mental health issues but lashing out at the people who love you and are trying to help you only pushes them away. Sigh. Leaving tomorrow thankfully.
- Mental disorders are medical conditions.
- Mental disorders are not personality quirks.
^Yes!
Read what it says and pass it on.
1 out of 4 people have a mental illness, and you could be the one to help.
And don’t discriminate against someone because sanity, can be HIGHLY over rated.
(Source: suzetteamour)
![A little meditation can keep a Black woman sane in this [white] man’s world.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fdgmJcUz1qbrimro1_400.jpg)
A little meditation can keep a Black woman sane in this [white] man’s world.
![theatlantic:
Suicide Has Killed More Troops Than the War in Afghanistan This Year
154 active duty troops have committed suicide in the first 155 days of the new year—a rate alarmingly close to one per day. The number dead from suicides eclipses the U.S. forces killed in Afghanistan by about 50 percent.
Read more at The Atlantic Wire. [Image: AP]
Can the US PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE start taking mental health seriously especially for those who have undergone traumatic experiences like war?!?! PTSD is not an effin joke. It is real, it is serious & under reported & under diagnosed.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5au9z3Q7A1qcokc4o1_500.jpg)
Suicide Has Killed More Troops Than the War in Afghanistan This Year
154 active duty troops have committed suicide in the first 155 days of the new year—a rate alarmingly close to one per day. The number dead from suicides eclipses the U.S. forces killed in Afghanistan by about 50 percent.
Read more at The Atlantic Wire. [Image: AP]
Can the US PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE start taking mental health seriously especially for those who have undergone traumatic experiences like war?!?! PTSD is not an effin joke. It is real, it is serious & under reported & under diagnosed.