Xuny…
“I don’t know for certain whether or not the African American community suffers from more mental health issues than other community, but what I do think is that if you are an individual that has identified itself as someone who needs to seek mental health help there aren’t enough African American’s that are serving as therapist or other professionals that are able to help. Which means that there is a huge lack in people that are qualified, that look like us, that people suffering from mental health can identify with”.
Renita Lloyd…
“I think that we don’t do enough. I think there is some positive outreach by those who are quote “woke” about the situation but I don’t think enough of us have. I think over the years in our community as Blacks we tend to look at it as “oh the boy is slow or he’s so crazy” or “he’s probably on something”, we make every excuse other than dealing with the real issues. I think so much of the psychology of who we are as Black Americans and how that relates to us as a people, how we relate to other races, there is so much psychological warfare against the African American that we don’t get a chance to address the issue of mental health. “
Robert E. Lee…
“Stress can kill you and if you do not have someone to talk to what are you going to do? Self inflict, drink a beer, go to church seven days a week, keep the faith, go hurt somebody cause your hurt? You have to be a pharoh and take care of the village and the tribe that’s what we have to do. As men, as women we have to take care of each other. Mental health poses a threat in our community such as the police do.”
Melissa Gilkey…
“Particularly, our young people have mental issues. They’ve been abused by their parents, bullied in school, may have been bullied or abused on social media and these kids are depressed, some have taken their own lives, some are turning to drugs and alcohol. But the law says they do not have to receive mental health care after the age of 13. So how do expect a kid to get help when you’re giving them the right to deny it? And, I think this is horrific and in some cases this is what roles over into adulthood and the same thing is repeated.”
Dwayne…
“Mental health is an equal opportunity disease. There is no one who is immune. Across all spectrums of humanity, cultures, community the stresses of life can inflict people causing negative mental instability. Now how we deal with it is another story and nationwide we are covering the affects of mental health with drugs and medicine instead of dealing with cause. All communities are struggling with mental health not just the African American community.”
Bertha Clark…
“I think every community has problems with mental issues, whether it’s African American, whether it’s Chinese, Japanese, even Caucasian the communities have mental health issues. Yes, I do think the African American community deals with mental health issues but so does all other cultural communities.”
Photos/Aaron Allen
