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So let\'s talk about Black Men & Mental Health...

A lot of us men grew up in an environment that tells us to \\u201cman up\\u201d at a very young age. As a result, we grow up as adults with unresolved traumas and issues.

Seeking professional help is never easy; it is even more difficult if you come from a minority. Black men struggle to look for professional help due to lack of representation, and only 26% of Hispanic and Black American men ever availed of mental health services despite experiencing obvious symptoms of mental health issues.

That\\u2019s why in continuation of our Men\\u2019s health month series, we will be talking about everything that surrounds the topic of mental health in African-American men. We will be talking not only about the medical aspect of it, but the societal angle of it as well.

Tune in as I discuss the reasons why African-American men continue to struggle with mental health and how we as a community could help each other move forward in the positive direction of getting and feeling better.

Why you need to check this episode:

• Find out the roots of why men, particularly from the Black community, continue to struggle with mental health despite the availability of help;
• Learn the importance of asking and understanding the \\u201cwhy\\u201d behind men\\u2019s actions and/or reactions toward stressors; and
• Realize the significance of having a proper and reliable support system in dealing with your mental health struggles

\\u201cYou have to acknowledge the elephant in the room. You have to acknowledge that there is a stigma that is attached to mental health and black men that we won\\u2019t even allow to connect. \\u201d\\u2013 Dr. Berry Pierre

Notable Quotes:

\\u201cWhen you have to ask yourself, \\u2018Why does color matter?\\u2019, then you already answered the question. Because then, you\\u2019re saying \\u2018I don\\u2019t even recognize that there are structural, access-related, and professional-related differences in the way color affects how I deal with the disease\\u201d. \\u2013 Dr. Berry Pierre

\\u201cWhen you\\u2019re trying to focus on your mental health and you can\'t find the right people to take care of you, or even if you find someone who\\u2019s willing to take care of you, and they don\\u2019t take care of you equally, that is where problems arise\\u201d. \\u2013 Dr. Berry Pierre

\\u201cYou can be financially healthy; you can work on trying to be physically healthy. But if your mental health isn\\u2019t there, then guess what? It doesn\\u2019t even matter.\\u201d \\u2013 Dr. Berry Pierre

\\u201cBecause we start young on not letting our emotions come out and not letting ourselves be free with how we feel, we carry our burden to adulthood.\\u201d \\u2013 Dr. Berry Pierre

\\u201cDon\\u2019t act like the stigma is not there\\u2026 We have to attack the stigma because that\\u2019s how you can move forward and move us in the positive direction to getting and feeling better.\\u201d \\u2013 Dr. Berry Pierre

\\u201cFor a lot of men, their reality is not something that they like. Their reality is not something that they are happy with. Their reality is not something that they are cool with. So guess what? They do the activities that get them away from that reality.\\u201d \\u2013 Dr. Berry Pierre

\\u201cYou should have someone to be able to say \\u2018I need some help\\u2019. Because if you don\\u2019t, we know that stress has no problem sitting where it\\u2019s at\\u201d. \\u2013 Dr. Berry Pierre

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