I admit that my life is lovely. I always had everything I needed and I am very grateful.
Apart from the soul-destroying, debilitating depression and anxiety. That I could do without.
It doesn’t matter how much money you have or how great your life is – mental illness doesn’t discriminate. It robs you of joy, ambition, strength and sometimes dignity. Sometimes depression made me almost useless, had the strength to do the bare minimum, and left a load of responsibility on my loved ones, which makes me feel worse.
Depression is not an easy disease for anyone to treat. This is especially true if you are in the minority.
Maybe it’s easier for me to deal with because I’m not working outside the home, plus I have a strong support system and access to good (ish) mental health care. Many are not so lucky. People of color are faced with more barriers.
These include higher stigma within a community, fewer mental health professionals in their field, and fewer providers with similar backgrounds or languages, according to the American Psychiatric Association. A lack of insurance (or underinsurance) and few culturally competent providers also prevent People of Color from seeking help.
Mental health matters: Yes, there are many reasons not to exercise regularly
Mental health problems are among the most costly health problems for adults between the ages of 18 and 24 in the United States, yet only about 43 percent of people with mental illness are treated.
The APA reports that among adults with mental illness, 48 percent of whites were receiving mental health care, compared with 31 percent of African Americans and Latinx and 22 percent of Asians. Even if minority groups have fewer mental disorders than whites, the effects of mental illness can linger longer, which means they are more likely to become disabled.
These numbers are from 2015, so it’s likely that they are higher now due to the pandemic.
It’s unacceptable.
Psychiatric care is a mess. It shouldn’t be that difficult to get high quality care. I pay out of pocket for my therapist and psychiatrist and also some medication. I have more options than most of the others, but this is not about me, but about the colored people who fall through the grid. And despite what you might think, depression can be fatal. At least it’s a disability, but it (and other mental disorders) can be treatable.
Imagine how frustrating it is to know that your illness is manageable, but you cannot afford it.
We are doing the colored people an incredible disservice. We need to work for change now because life literally depends on it. We are supposed to be the greatest country in the world, but if the poorest and most marginalized of our citizens do not receive basic health care, are we really that great?
That is a rhetorical question.
Here’s what we can do:
- Urging local and state lawmakers to support better access to critical mental health services
- Help remove the stigma of mental illness by doing research, encouraging others to come up and speak openly about it
- Advocate the inclusion of People of Color on the staff or boards of mental health organizations
- Educate others about the inequality between whites and minority groups who receive quality care
If you have thoughts of suicide, go to the nearest emergency room or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Heather Loeb has suffered from major depression, anxiety, and personality disorder for more than 20 years while battling the mental health stigma. She is the creator of Unruly Neurons (www.unrulyneurons.com), a blog devoted to normalizing depression, and a member of State Rep. Todd Hunter’s Suicide Prevention Taskforce.
FACIAL AFFAIRS
Now, more than ever, we need to take care of our mental health. Opinion contributor Heather Loeb explains why and other important mental health issues in this special series.
source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/13/mental-health-issues-dont-discriminate-but-can-be-worse-for-people-of-color/
No comments:
Post a Comment