Winter ABC Day 22: Home is the Funda-Mental Basis of the Mind

We can no longer sweep mental health under the rug.  

Mental health in the black home is as taboo as the HIV/AIDS discussion in the 90s. People know that individuals suffer from one type of mental illness, or another, however refuse to acknowledge the effects.

Depression and bipolar are often viewed as choices. Family members, and society at large will comment, "Anozviitisa/Uyazenzisa!" Individuals suffering from such mental health illnesses are expected to pull themselves together.

Yet over the years, we have seen more black people become suicide statistics. In the United States of America alone, reports stated that suicides among Black children under 18 increased 71 percent from 2006 to 2016. Closer to home, alone in the past six months, I have heard of eight suicides of people six degrees from myself. I almost became a statistic!

Mental health is taken for granted. Few notice behaviours and patterns of a cry for help until they have to commit someone, or worse, bury them. I was privy to mental health through deployment to a psychiatric hospital.

My heart ached at the atrocities committed by some patients. With some, I found beauty behind the madness. One patient was a kleptomaniac who stole food from medical staff. The other had delusions of grandeur, he was the president of the country, who spoke Mandarin. Those were the lighthearted moments of that attachment. For many, institutionalization was a haven. Many refused to return to a society that perceived them as dysfunctional due to their mental health. Being on medication is frowned upon, yet that's what will keep the individual in balance.

Maybe education is required in places of influence such as schools, clinics, churches, and even media. Mental health issues require depth in the discussion. Families need to be sensitive to mood affective disorders such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar.

We need to open up our homes as safe spaces for family members to share their mental health. Often we have triggered such as grief due to the loss of a loved one through a break-up, death, or separation. Job losses, financial woes are contributing factors to these triggers. At times, families need to support an individual in seeking medical attention when it is a chemical imbalance.

We can no longer sweep mental health under the rug.  We need to be empathetic with family members. Parents or guardians need to desist from comparing family members. Each mental health issue is unique to the individual.

Institutions where individuals spend most of their time such as schools, work, and places of religion, need to facilitate mental health spaces. Training is required in identifying, diagnosing, and counseling individuals when it comes to their psyche and general wellness.

Kudos to families who talk and encourage mental wellness. Families who consider therapy are on the right track. This should be action taken on by society at large.

If we are going to help family members live wholesome lives, we need to talk. We need to go start discussing trials, pain and everything in between that may affect our mental health.

P.S. Always write your own love story!

Ciao!

Lady E