On Black folks and mental health

From The Christian Progressive Liberal piece The Gift of Good Mental Health on Jack & Jill Politics:

We value good physical health, but somehow, many of us believe we don’t deserve good mental health as well. That we deserve to live life to the fullest without dealing with soul-destroying depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, personality disorders, etc. Especially People of Color. Many of us feel that since we survived slavery, Jim Crow segregation, theft of land, homogenization of cultures and whatnot, that having good mental health is something we don’t need to talk about, because it means that’s one more stigma we need to over come, without the White Man having something else to hold over our heads.

I disagree. I don’t think the issue is that we fear being seen as weak or fear white judgment. It’s that we have no clue what mental illness looks like.

Depression can be misread as laziness. Anxiety can be misread as shyness or being high strung. Being bipolar or schizophrenic sometimes get expressed in violent or impulsive ways. It’s often misread as “mean.” In many cases, depression is masked by the person’s ability to be functional. I shower most days. I go to work most days. I am even able to crack a smile most times. People might not realize when I am depressed. They might think me stern, serious, or aloof perhaps, but not depressed.

I would also argue that some degree of misery is what black folks collectively expect from life. We don’t expect to be happy because we see suffering all around us. It’s part and parcel of life, and not in the Buddhist sense. Therefore mental health conditions — or their symptoms at least — get normalized.

We also can’t discount financial cost. Going to a mental health specialist is expensive, particularly if you are a member of the great, uninsured masses. Depending on what part of the country you’re in, seeing a therapist without insurance ranges from $75 to $150 per session, sometimes more. Even with insurance, mental health coverage is downright crappy. Many plans limit the number of sessions they will cover, if they cover mental health at all.

While there is still a stigma about mental illness in some quarters, more likely explanations are awareness and affordability. Knowing what the symptoms are and how they’re expressed — realizing that this is not normal and that you need help — is the first step to getting help. Finding affordable treatment is the second.