Mental Health Matters
Growing up, mental illness was something I saw all around me, but it was never explicitly talked about it, so in recognition of October 10th - “World Mental Health Day,” I wanted to share a little on how I ended up in mental health care.
As a child, we lived in a neighborhood where people would walk everywhere. I was somewhat sheltered and incredibly curious, so one of my main activities was to “people watch,” and asks tons of questions. While watching, I often asked myself - “Who are they?” and “Where are they going?” One particular day, a man caught my eye, and to my surprise, he was talking to himself, but no one was around. Without hesitation, I asked my mother what was wrong, but she wasn’t sure. Being the curious child that I was, not having an answer made me even more interested, and even though I didn’t have language for what I experienced, I knew I wanted to help people like him.
Over the years, as I started to study and develop language for what I had seen, I was faced with a very personal dilemma - someone that I was close to had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia. The signs were all there; paranoia, irritability, hallucinations, and then some, we couldn’t ignore it. As time progressed, I watched a once pleasant and thriving individual become angry and distrustful of everyone and everything around, including medication. From that point on, my decision to be a psychologist shifted from just an educational interest to a purposeful calling.
In the African American community, to admit you struggle with a mental illness can be embarrassing because no one wants to be called “crazy,” and because of other systemic issues, no one wants to be misdiagnosed. Furthermore, if you’re a person of faith, sometimes going to your church for support can be difficult because you’re told to just, “pray it away.” Don’t get me wrong, prayer is great, but I believe God has put people in place to pray and offer tangible solutions to help with your mental distress.
Imagine this, if you had the flu, would you avoid what you were physically feeling and pray you’d get better. Absolutely not! Most likely, you would take medicine, get some rest, and if things didn’t get better, you’d go to the doctor. Applying faith to our actions is what God intends. In this case, you’d keep praying while also taking steps toward physical healing. Our mental health is no different. Pray, then take action by pursuing counseling or taking medication, and then pray some more. Don’t let stigma, fear, ignorance, or anything else keep you from experiencing wholeness because your mental health matters.
