“I am not Crazy, am I?”
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- african canadian, crazy, mental health, mental illness, stigma, wordsmith
- March 27, 2019
“I am not Crazy, am I?”
As an African Canadian, I have to say that the stigma that has been formulated around mental illnesses is prevalent in our culture. Our ways of dealing with the mentally ill are usually religion-based practices. These practices include: prayers, group gatherings and other spiritual interventions. It is unfortunate that many people of African descent do not understand the seriousness of day-to-day burdens, and how they can weigh heavily on the conscious.
Epidemiologists (Medical scientists that deal with the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population), have argued that
many of the stresses associated with being a disadvantaged minority increases the vulnerability of African Americans and Canadians to mental disorders.(Kleiner, Tuckman and Lavell, 1960; Fischer, 1969; Kramer, Rosen and Willis, 1973; Cannon and Locke, 1977; Mirowsky and Ross, 1980). This fact alone leads me to believe that there are many Blacks who are dealing with mental health issues and they do not even know it. This can cause issues in your family life, work life and intrapersonal life.
There is a lot of research showing that this is not just a culturally African related stigma; this stigma is prevalent in many cultures. Can it be said that no one wants to believe that they are going crazy? I can safely say that I at times have struggled with depression. The goal is to identify where you are at, and find the support needed to deal with your current state of mind.
I hope that I have helped at least one person understand that it is okay to feel like you are going crazy!
This world is a crazy place!
