Therapy while Black
- Blackwomananonymous
- Apr 23, 2018
- 2 min read
"Girl you know we don't do that." "I just don't wanna seem weak you know?" Both responses from black women around the idea of seeking Therapy.
According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health,
"African Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population....One in 5 people are affected by mental illness. Only about one-quarter of African Americans seek mental health care, compared to 40% of whites."
Some of us have been programmed to think that asking for help is a sign that we are not strong enough to handle our problems. So many of us suffer in silence because of shame, embarrassment and misinformation. Taught that prayer is all we need or ignoring the problem makes it go away. As a Christian woman, I truly believe in the power of prayer. I also believe that faith without works is dead. We can pray all day for 1 million dollars but if we don't do the work it takes to make that million, who are we fooling?
Also, the brain is a muscle. If we have issues with our eyes, we see an Optometrist, issues with our feet, a Podiatrist etc. So why don't we think of our brain as a muscle that needs a check in periodically from a specialist too.
I challenged the patient in the moment to change her perspective. I asked her to consider, maybe reaching out for support was not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. A sign that you don't have all of the answers. A sign of intelligence, recognizing you are a problem solver, you are brave for confronting your challenges. You are teaching your children to also be these things.
There are other barriers to treatment such as lack of access, insurance, mistrust but with every patient I encounter, I try to normalize seeking therapy as much as possible. It is important to find a therapist that fits your needs and if spirituality is a significant factor in your life, it can certainly be worked into your treatment goals. With new software and confidentiality, people are able to text their therapists, utilize Teleheath, and online therapy platforms.
Therapy is normal. It is healthy and it has been proven to be effective.
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