Black Mens mental health has been in question a lot lately. Celebrities like Tyrese Gibson, Meek Mill , Chris Brown, Brandon Marshall, Wayne Brandy, DMX, Dwayne Johnson, and Kayne West have fought with some form of depression and mental health issue. Black men’s mental health is a growing epidemic. There has not been any real diagnosis for men of color per say, but black men are just as likely to suffer from mental illness as any other race. And the black male suicide rate is just as high as a result of the mental depression.
photo credit the Voice Britain’s
How Does Society View Black Men’s Mental Health
Society seems to not place much value on Black men and their mental health. You see so many men in the hiphop community, the corporate world, entertainment, and society as a whole are losing a grip on their daily performance in life. Take a look at cats like Tyrese who recently had a mental break down over his daughter. The hip hop community and African Americans went overboard to destroy the brothers emotional stability.
Recently, Meek Mill was sent to prison for violating his parole, which leads many to questioning his mental health. Artist like DMX has made it known he suffers from major depression bouts. DMX has used drugs as a way to cope with his mental illness over the course of his career. I myself have had issues with depression and stress, which has lead me to seek medical help to cope with just trying to maintain the normal day to day pressures of life. The culture of insanity and mental depression runs deep inside the black community.
Mental War Tactics on Black Men’s Mental Health
Since the beginning of the slave era black men have been enduring mental warfare tactics by their European settlers. The impact that this has had on the black family, and black males has been devastating, not to mention, the mental illnesses have passed down from one generation to the next. The outcry that black men cry is not being heard in the streets of America. The pain of being less than a man, and not being able to provide for ones family takes a toll on you.
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On Black Men and Mental Health
Man…glad someone is writing about this subject. As a Man who suffered a complete mental breakdown and spent weeks in a psych institution this article is refreshing. Mental health issues with Black men are grossly underdiagnosed and therefore undertreated.