For some, it’s the all too familiar butterflies or uneasiness, but for others it manifests itself through full blown panic attacks. While stress-induced anxiety is a common even for the healthiest individuals, anxiety can become crippling for those who experience heightened fear of everyday situations. According to the NIH, over 40 million Americans – nearly 20% of the US adult population – suffer from anxiety disorders. Out of those, 75% will have their first episode before the age of 22.
Despite the prevalence of anxiety and other mental health disorders among Americans, mental health is still an extremely taboo topic of discussion in the black community. A report by the Department of Health and Human Services found that only 50% of African Americans with mood or anxiety disorders seek treatment. Even worse, a community study found that “only 16 percent of African Americans with a diagnosable mood disorder saw a mental health specialist, and fewer than one-third consulted a health care provider of any kind.” Because we are so unwilling to seek help, we are, unfortunately, far more likely to receive mental health services as a result of emergency care.
What is it about mental health issues that keeps us from opening up? Why are there so many of us who deny our need for professional help? What keeps so many of us from making a simple four-word admission: “No, I’m not okay”?
The Myth of the Strong Black Woman
The pressure to be a “Strong Black Woman” plays a huge role in the way many of us were taught to deal with stress. Related to the concept of a “Superwoman”, the “Strong Black Woman” appears to hold everything in her life together seamlessly. Yet, there is often nothing further from the truth.
Angela Neal-Barnett, PhD, psychotherapist and author of Soothe Your Nerves : The Black Woman’s Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Fear
The “Strong Black Woman” doesn’t have time to worry. She’s focused on taking care of business, providing for her family and keeping everything together. If and when she seeks help, she turns to the church, elders in the community, beauty shops and friends. While this is better than nothing, it is far from the professional help that may be needed. Many of us don’t realize that long-term stress eventually affects our physical health. Issues such as obesity, hypertension and heart disease, which are already prevalent in our community, are all associated with anxiety.
Mental Health Awareness Month: How I Found Help
May is Mental Health Awareness month, and ironically my own journey toward becoming healthier started only a few weeks ago when I decided to see a psychotherapist. My tumultuous relationship with anxiety, on the other hand, goes back a long time.
I’ve always struggled with sharing my problems with other people. Instead of talking, I maintain a relatively happy and confident veneer that reflects how I think I should feel. As a teenager, and later as a young adult, I didn’t understand my feelings of sadness or realize that the hopelessness I felt was not normal. I just dealt with it alone. At least, I thought I was dealing with it. But, really, my idea of dealing with it was doing my best to keep the cap on the bottle I used to suppress any stress, fear, discomfort and other unhappy feelings I was experiencing. Looking back, I recognize that, in high school, the days that I brushed off as nothing but a “bad day” were a lot more serious than I was able to admit. I had bouts of depression and, at a certain point in time, even thoughts of suicide.
In college, much didn’t change. The same emotional cycles continued. I’d become so familiar with them that I could practically time my next breakdown. There were also times that the smallest of things – like running out of printer ink – would trigger an anxiety attack. The feelings of failure (a result of holding myself to a ridiculous standard of perfection) and loneliness (a result of feeling like no one would understand me) would become overwhelming.
There were times when I told myself I should go talk to the counselors available on campus, and each time I successfully talked myself out of it. If it wasn’t “Oh, it’s just this test that has me stressed out,” it was “What will you even say? Everybody has bad days so stop trippin’.”
It’s taken years for me to get to the point that I reached last month, and I’m tremendously proud of myself. I’m not going to lie, it is a terrifying process, especially when I began to see all of the areas of my life affected by my anxiety. But the feeling of hopelessness begins to fade when you realize that it’s more than manageable if dealt with appropriately (and, yes, for some that may include medication). While my own personal journey is just beginning, I’m encouraged by women like Bassey Ikpi who aren’t afraid to share their stories; I’m encouraged by the awareness I have experienced thus far; and, most importantly, I’m encouraged by the knowledge that things will get better over time.
There are so many resources available that provide the tools and information necessary to enhance our mental well-being. Yet still there are too many of us who are unwilling or unable to admit that we need help. I’m learning that true strength lies in the ability to admit when we are not okay. Therefore, it is imperative that we work toward creating a culture of understanding, one that assures members of our community that they are not alone and that dealing with mental health issues should not be done alone.
For more information on Mental Health Awareness month go to www.nmha.org/go/may. On that site, you can also find information on how to get help in the form of support groups, treatment, and more.
