Stress symptoms are rising, and loneliness may be why
Stress symptoms often show up in the body before the mind admits anything is wrong. The most common physical signs are headaches, tight or aching muscles, an upset stomach, fatigue, trouble sleeping, a racing heart, jaw clenching, skin flare ups, appetite changes and catching every cold that comes around, according to Mayo Clinic and doctors […]
Self-medicating and the mental health care gap in Black America
Self-medicating means using alcohol, drugs or other substances on your own to cope with anxiety, depression, trauma or stress, without a doctor’s guidance. It can feel like relief in the moment. Over time, it tends to make mental health symptoms worse and can lead to dependence, addiction and dangerous withdrawal. Alcohol withdrawal, for example, can […]
Bipolar I disorder looks different in Black families and that matters
Misdiagnosis is common, symptoms present differently, and cultural context changes everything about how Black families experience bipolar I disorder. Bipolar I disorder is not a single experience. It shifts depending on the person, the environment and the cultural context in which symptoms first appear, and for many Black patients, what shows […]
The role of community in Black mental health healing
For many Black Americans navigating an especially heavy emotional season, a licensed psychologist says the most transformative step forward may not be found in self help it may be found in each other, a collective weight that keeps growing. Mental Health Awareness Month arrives this May against a backdrop of compounding grief. From ongoing conversations […]
Mental Health Care Is Failing Black Americans and Here Is Why
Black Americans develop mental health conditions at roughly the same rate as everyone else. They seek treatment at half the rate. That gap is not a mystery, and it is not explained by personal choice alone. Only about 25% of Black Americans seek mental health care when they need it, compared to 40% of white […]