Black Men and Mental Health Part 3
Hello friends. As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, I hope this mini-series has allowed us to continue to see the importance of sharing with others when we may be struggling. Unfortunately our society praises strength without knowing what it actually means. True strength and bravery is the courage to speak up in the face of struggle. No matter what we show on the outside, all of us deal with something. Some of us have the privilege of a great support system to get through it, or the appropriate resources to get help, but some of us are not as fortunate. Minorities have the added pressure of being expected to be “strong”, and it can be daunting.
I would like to salute everyone who contributed to this mini-series. Thank you for being brave.
Last but certainly not least, I would like to introduce my longtime friend, Jay Jones. He is an advocate for all things mental health and hosts his own podcast on the topic: “Real Talk-The Mental Side of Life” (check it out on Spotify). Check out his thoughts below:
“Hello everyone! My name is Jay Jones and I’m a full advocate for mental health awareness especially during this month.
With the pandemic affecting all of our lives back in 2020, mental health entered the forefront of the conversation. We learned that the struggle that what we face on the inside is not something that should be ignored but rather discussed in the open. I have opened up about my own journey navigating through depression, anxiety and adjustment disorder that I live with every single day. Some days are easier than others but talking about it with people I love has helped along with other avenues such as therapy.
It took me years to reach to the point where I am open about my own mental health and sharing my story with others. This includes the highs and the lowest of lows.
To anyone who is reading this blog post, I want you to know that when people say that it is ok not to be ok, it is not a cliché. It is really ok. You are not going to be on 100% of the time and we all go through things that affect us. Confide in your loved ones, see someone to help you navigate through this world of mental health, and do your best to practice self-care. This isn’t just for this month. This is for you every day. Take care of yourselves.”
If you are reading this, remember that you are doing amazing.
Love always,
CDOG