Mental Health Monday #37: Why are Black kids killing themselves?, Kendrick Lamar on depression on suicidal thoughts, etc.

Welcome to another round of Mental Health Monday, your weekly dose of stories, resources, and motivation for your everyday life. On last week's Mental Health Monday, Angela Helm wrote about that time her mom's breakown was captured on WorldstarHipHop, Katrina explored the dangers of the "ride-or-die chick" narrative, Hakim Hill dove into code switching and how it affects us, and Da Brat's story of loss was featured for Children's Grief Awareness Month. Have a gander.

THIS WEEK'S GOODNESS:

This week, we take a look back at one of the most revealing songs on Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, which explored self-hate and self-love. Here, he spoke with MTV about the depression and suicidal thoughts that inspired the song, and how real life traumas impact his music.

"‘Sometimes I Just Don’t Wanna Be Here Anymore’: On Black Children and Suicide" by Kondawani Fidel [The Root]

A scarred brown palm flew in the air. A squeaky preteen voice followed: “Can you tell me how to cope with suicidal thoughts? Because sometimes I just don’t wanna be here anymore.”

I was sitting in front of a class of middle schoolers who were reading my book, Raw Wounds, when a student asked that haunting question. I can’t lie; when I asked the kids, “Do you have any questions before I start speaking?” I wrongly assumed that they would raise questions about my book. Boy, was I wrong.

"Army lifts ban on waivers for recruits with history of some mental health issues" by Tom Vanden Brook [USA Today]

The decision to open Army recruiting to those with mental health conditions comes as the service faces the challenging goal of recruiting 80,000 new soldiers through September 2018. To meet last year's goal of 69,000, the Army accepted more recruits who fared poorly on aptitude tests, increased the number of waivers granted for marijuana use and offered hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses.

"Mental health summit aims to help young black men, boys cope with trauma" by William Lee [Chicago Tribune]

The four-hour summit, which begins at 10 a.m. at the Connect Gallery in Hyde Park, will also address the effects of social media on fueling the trauma on black youths and adults.

“With social media, I feel like we’ve normalized so many abnormal behaviors. At any given point you can log on Facebook and … you can see a picture of someone dead in the street,” she said.

"Are Black Children Killing Themselves To Avoid Abuse?" by Stacey Patton [Dame Magazine]

When I was around 8 or 9 years old I tried to kill myself.

Twice.

The first time, I threw myself down a narrow flight of carpeted stairs. The second time, I tried to poison myself by drinking peroxide. I had to lie to my adoptive mother about the limp, the twisted ankle, and the burns on my mouth and throat. The truth that I had intentionally tried to hurt myself would have led to another whupping. 

Beyond the Statistics by Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence: Erricka by Liz Banach

David was many things: a star football player, a great friend, a loving brother. He also struggled with an addiction to crack cocaine. Erricka remembered, “What’s crazy about him to me is that when he wasn’t using, he was helping other people get clean. He was an angel, a teddy bear.”

Aaaaand model Doraezha opened up about her journey with bipolar disorder.

If you have a mental health resource, event, or piece of content we should know about, step into our office. You da bess.

Mental Health Monday #36: Da Brat's story of loss, a mom's public breakdown, the dangerous ride-or-die narrative, etc.

Welcome to another round of Mental Health Monday, your weekly dose of stories, resources, and motivation for your everyday life. Last week, Jenifer Lewis opened up about overcoming sex addiction and bipolar disorder, Jihan Thompson talked about why it can be hard for Black women to find a therapist, Zack McDermott reflects on his public breakdown, Dwan Carter addresses the realities of suicide among Black teens, and Rev. Jacqui Lewis wrote about growing up being Black and depressed. and you should definitely read it. 

Because it's always a good time for celebrating winning-ass Black folks, here is Tiffany Haddish's monologue from this weekend's episode of Saturday Night Live. 

EVENTS:

 Portland, OR. A Discussion on Black Trauma, Mental Health, and Self Care. November 16 @ 5:00PM - 6:30PM

Please join the Urban League Young Professionals for an in depth and open facilitated discussion with Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare on black trauma, black mental health, and self care. Wine, beer, and light refreshments will be served. Info and RSVP

Atlanta, GA. The Key: A discussion about the tools needed for the mental, physical and economic health of Black men. @ November 18 @ 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Join us as we discuss black men in the context of hiphop culture. The Key is a discussion about the tools needed for the mental, physical, economic, emotional, sexual and legal health of Black men. From JDilla's Lupus, to Meek Mills' unfair sentencing to Pimp C's and Nate Dogg's untimely death and Kanye's breakdown, let's discuss the importance total health of men of color. Info and RSVP

THIS WEEK'S GOODNESS:

Troubled by the death of Melissa Wright’s mother, the Wright family goes through unforeseen obstacles that begin to hinder all of their family relations. While this is occurring, the Love family enters their lives. In every mysterious way possible, they go from good to bad. This series touches on how your past can affect your future and the mental illnesses of anger, alcoholism, greed, and depression.

"When a Breakdown Is Public (or, That Time My Mom Was on WorldStarHipHop)" by Angela Helm [The Root]

Soon after that, my best cousin Chanise said she wanted to talk to me. She revealed that “Aunt Teddie was on WorldStarHipHop,” and the family didn’t know how to tell me. I looked up at her in half amusement (like, word?) and half horror. Oh Lord. Within days, people all over the country were hitting me up, friends and family, telling me that they’d seen my mom on WorldStar (who knew that shit was so popular?). Her video has been viewed more than half a million times (something I think my mother is slightly proud of), but to me it was crass, it was ugly. It was personal.

It was my mother.

To Love Does Not Mean To Endure Abuse by Katrina [Manifesting ME]

The narrative I’m speaking of is the ‘ride-or-die’ narrative.  A narrative typically aimed at women which encourages and praises them for sticking by their partner’s side through everything without wavering.  This often means being cheated on, lied to, manipulated, humiliated, and disrespected but still holding this person down.  It is a narrative presented in many songs, shows, movies, etc and it is often aimed at women of color.

And quite frankly I’m tired of it!

To coincide with Children's Grief Awareness Month, Da Brat's story of losing her father as a young girl was featured by A Legacy Left Behind (here).

"How Code Switching Is Turning Black People Into Method Actors" by Hakim "Kimo" Hill [Blavity]

Over the last year, my partner Cliff Notez and I, have been going to universities with two of our films about black mental health, and doing workshops with students and faculty about coping skills and trauma. A lot of these students have an unmatched grind, trying to be full-time students, full-time workers, full-time friends, children and, sometimes, parents. Often times, code switching in between all of them, their multiple personalities leaked into each other, causing a stress that can lead to depression.

"Not White, Not Rich, and Seeking Therapy" by Olga Khazan [The Atlantic]

She found 28 percent of white, middle-class callers were called back and offered any appointment, compared to just 17 percent of African-American, middle-class callers. Only eight percent of the working-class callers of either race were offered an appointment. When therapists offered appointments in the ideal time slot—weekday evenings—the wealthier, white callers prevailed once again.

Kugelmass also found subtle differences by gender, with the odds largely stacked against black men.

"9 Things to Do When Having Suicidal Thoughts" (.pdf file) [Lion Heart Life Healing]

WRITE DOWN THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO END -Sometimes we become suicidal because we want to end things, not ourselves. Write down things that you want to change in your life and if you feel up to it, write out a plan to change those things.

If you have a mental health resource, event, or piece of content we should know about, step into our office. You da bess.

Alex's latest for Saint Heron: "Black In The Day: Back To School Edition"

In his latest installment of Black In The Day for Saint Heron, Alex reflected on some of the most memorable on-screen moments from Black academia's past. 

"As chirren, teachers, staff, parents, and administrators greet new year of adventure down at the schoolhouse, let’s take a look back pon some of the phattest and most memorable moments from Black academia’s past. When report cards and parent-teacher conferences roll around, you might might need some positivity to help keep hope alive.

Let’s start the moonwalk down Memory Lane with Spike Lee’s famous ode to collegiate colorism and intraracial hair hateration in Mission College’s dancerie, “Good and Bad Hair” from 1988’s School Daze. Though the film addresses apartheid, class issues, and misogyny with the help of a stellar cast of hella talented Chocolatey Wonders, it is the spite-filled salon showdown betwixt #teamlightskin and #teamcholocolatey that keeps me coming back to this movie because I love a grand dance scene. Long before she learned how to go to work on Myra’s feet, Tisha Campbell (Jane), She Who Would Become Whitley Gilbert, and the mostly fair-skinned Gamma Rays (the “Wannabe’s”) with “good hair” danced it out against the mahogany, natural haired so-called “Jigaboos,” trading brutal jabs and sickening 8-counts, proving that all skinfolk ain’t your kinfolk. That choreo is popping, though. Shoutout to Otis Sallid."

Read the rest over at Saint Heron.

Previous Black In The Day Installments:

Black In The Day: The Black Joy Playlist

Black In The Day: Self Care Playlist

Black In The Day: Stage and Screen Mainstays

Black In The Day: Always Extra, Always On Point

Black In The Day: Black Excellence Express