Whisper Out Loud: Unmask your Mental State

Whisper Out Loud: Unmask your Mental State:                                             All last year in 2018 we've heard about many people, mainly celebrities, coming out ta...

Unmask your Mental State

                                           

All last year in 2018 we've heard about many people, mainly celebrities, coming out talking about mental health issues that they are dealing with. Catherine Zeta Jones deals with bipolar II disorder, Carrie Fisher also dealt with bipolar, Kanye West suffers from bipolar as well, which he calls it his "superpower" and even the beautiful and talented Kerry Washington said she experiences bouts of depression and having an eating disorder. And I'm quite sure your favorite celebrity is dealing with some sort of depression too.

Mental health issues has always been around. It's been around since the fall of man (Adam and Eve for the Biblical correct readers) or the sudden revolution of the universe ( for the theorists reader). No matter what your beliefs are mental disorders has been here from day 1. The problem is, is that it has always been swept under the rug. No one wanted to deal with it. No one wanted to talk about it. And me being a Black American woman, that was an issue that my people of color didn't deal with and still doesn't to this day. It was known as a white person's problem. They were seen going to a therapist to talk about their problems. Whenever a black person would experience some sort of mental issue it was ignored, prayed upon with the laying of the hands, speaking in tongues, or just labeling that person as crazy and go about their way.

You weren't allowed to say that you were depressed in the black community. Depression wasn't in our vocabulary. And the remedy was to just pray about and go to church and we'll snap out of it. Or some would visit their numerous choice of liquor stores on each corner in the hood. So, drinking and smoking their depression or other mental issues they were dealing with away became the remedy but never dealt with. Those who were labeled as crazy because they talked to themselves and was seen swinging at the air, were ignored and people in the neighborhood would either say they're fighting with their demons or they're just working things out in the mind. But did we dare approach them? Absolutely not. They were labeled as crazy and we, the younger kids stayed away from the aunt or uncle that our relatives would have sit in the rocking chair on the front porch.
Things that we witnessed growing up that was embedded in our memory, including the harsh, betrayed, and hurtful experiences has become part of our character. And that's where mental disorders comes into play.

Mental Health combines all of our emotions, psychological issues and social state. Many people have become accustomed to hiding their mental state. 1 out of 5 people have some sort of mental issue. Is that number high, absolutely. It's high because people masked it so well that you can't tell if they are truly dealing with some sort of mental issue.

List of Mental Issues:

• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
• Anxiety Disorders
• bipolar
• BPD ( Borderline Personality Disorder)
• Depression
• Dissociative Disorders, 
• Psychosis
• Eating Disorders
• Drinking Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)
• Schizoaffective Disorder
• Schizophrenia

WHEW! That's a lot! And that isn't touching the surface of other disorders that have been diagnosed. And if you're not a professional or studied anything pertaining to mental health in an higher education setting, you wouldn't even know if your own momma , child, significant other or best friends are dealing with some of these issues because they hide it so well. It becomes the norm in their life. 

But what about you? Are there issues that you are masking to show face because you were taught, like myself, never to show or say what you're going through because you don't want people in your business. You put a smile on your face and straighten up. A memory just came to mind. When I was a child, I remembered I got into trouble for something. I got spanked, popped or whatever you want to call it. As we were leaving out the house, I remember my parent saying, "Now straighten up your face. Nobody needs to see you looking all sad like something is wrong." I tried to fix my face but to no avail my cousins saw I must have gotten into trouble because they all had the same look on their face after they get in trouble with their parents. My aunt proceed to ask me, "What's wrong with you?" Dare I not open my mouth. My parent said, "She's fine. Don't pay her any mind. She just has an attitude." YOU GOT THAT RIGHT! I DID HAVE AN ATTITUDE! I was just disciplined LOL. 

But that alone taught me and so many others how to mask our issues that we are dealing with on the inside. Think about it, when you get into an argument with your man or woman and you go to work, do you walk in with an attitude, having a sour face, grumpy and quiet. Probably not. You put on your mask to cover your issue until you are able to let it out at the right time. We've learned how to mask our mental state. Here are some early symptoms that you may be aware of but tend to ignore:

• Excessive worry and fear
• Feeling excessively sad
• Problems concentrating and learning, lack focus 
• Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
• Easily angered or irritable 
• Avoiding friends and social activities
• Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
• Changes in sleeping habits, constantly fatigue, and having low energy
• Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
• Changes in sex drive (increase or decrease)
• Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don't exist in objective reality)
• Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality
• Abuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
• Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
• Thinking about suicide
• Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
• An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance

https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Know-the-Warning-Signs

If you are experiencing a few of these symptoms, maybe it's time to take the mask off and get professional help or at least begin to speak to someone that you trust that can help you start the process of mental healing. That person can be your accountability partner. But having an accountability partner is just the first step outside of getting professional help. It can be someone from your church, but that would only help with the spiritual aspect. Many issues are deeper than having a divine spiritual interaction. I know speaking to a counselor or a therapist (it's a difference), can be costly but it's an investment to your own mentality. They can range anywhere from $70 a session to $170 a session. Usually those that are more expensive are in the populated cities like, NYC, LA, or ATL. Some counselors or therapists will charge you according to your income. Instead of seeing your therapists or counselor every week, you can go every two weeks. If you can afford a night out with the guys or girls and spend anywhere from $50 to $100, you can afford to invest in yourself. No one needs to know that you are seeking professional help, unless you make it known to people that you are getting help. At this moment it's about YOU, and no one else. 

Before I conclude, let me explain the difference between a counselor and a therapist. 

A counselor helps individuals understand and solve problems to help them deal with mental or emotional stresses. 

A therapist helps individuals understand and tackle and solve problems concerning their situation in order to gain a more understanding about how they react to things that affect their emotions, behavior and their way of thinking. 

There are different types of counseling and therapists. I will cover the differences in both next week. But at this time begin to reevaluate yourself and think about issues that you are masking. Don't try to pull the scabs off the mask just yet, leave that to the professional. It will be a painful but fulfilling process. Until then....get ready to unmask your mental state.