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The stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community is one that took us a very long time to shake from a cultural perspective. For too long, many Black men and women alike suffered in silence out of fear of being judged, ostracized, viewed as a threat to society or called the worst word that you can use to describe anyone struggling with their mental health: “crazy.”
That’s why the recent surge in normalizing something as simple as seeking therapy is one huge societal step forward for the culture in general. However, where the ladies of our community have always been more in-tune with their emotions, and also have female-centered outlets like The View to reflect their ideals back at them, Black men often don’t have those similar safe spaces to discuss societal pressures like masculinity, financial stability and/or a need to be the bread-winner of a household. You tend to see a difference in character based on those who embrace therapy compared to the many men who still avoid it.
We saw both sides to the spectrum of Black men dealing with mental health in the public recently with separate conversations surrounding A-list actor Idris Elba and controversial music mogul Kanye “Ye” West.
RELATED: African-Americans And Bipolar Disorder: What You Need To Know
Starting with Elba, the recent revelation that he’s been in therapy for the past year to combat a self-diagnosed issue of being a “workaholic” was eye-opening from many angles. From courageously speaking out in the first place to understanding that certain behaviors normally rewarded in his field were doing more damage than good in his personal life, shows just how life-altering therapy can be when it’s a choice made to better yourself above all. It was a bit disheartening to see the ladies of The View (see above) brushing his trauma aside by sexualizing the situation, but co-host Ana Navarro was able to make a great point when they finally were able to get back on track by stating, “Men get therapy and address mental health issues a lot less than women, and Black men and Latino men — men of color — do so even less.”
While fellow co-host Whoopi Goldberg didn’t join in on the Idris love fest, what she did choose to say felt like a missed mark on what therapy ultimately meant for the Luther star. “I’d be mad as hell at him if I was his wife,” Goldberg boldly stated, further adding, “basically, you’re saying you have to go to therapy in order to figure out how to come home; that’s an issue between you and I, and you put it out there.” Two things, Whoop: yes — maybe he does need therapy to find his way back home! What a person decides to get therapy for is completely up to them and whatever they need to unpack in order to live a mentally peaceful life. The second thing is that it’s his therapy session to work through; your place as his wife comes secondary, and will actually only get better as he does the honest work required within those sessions.
Ye on the other hand is an example of a Black man who’s pushing away from the idea of therapy during a time when he may very well need it the most. While the viral leaked footage of him berating Cardi B, his former G.O.O.D. Music roster and fellow rap icon Nas is years old, we’ve seen this man literally lose everything in the five years since it was recorded due to a public battle with bipolar disorder that he refuses to even take medication for. Whether it’s public displays of hyper-sexuality or the multitude of lawsuits coming by way of everyone from ex-DONDA Academy employees to construction workers on his Malibu home, it’s clear to see that Kanye could benefit from therapy. Sadly, it’s also very clear that he’s in no rush to seek it.
Overall, we use both Idris and Kanye as a way to not compare who’s doing better in their mental health journeys, but more as a means to show that our brothers come with various shades of complexity. We commend Idris for seeing it in himself and seeking out help, and we pray that Kanye one day soon can benefit from the same self-reflection.
Digital outlets like Black Men Heal, Melanin And Mental Health and TherapyForBlackMen.Org are great places for anyone to start.
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