May 9, 2024
My mother taught me how to swim in our backyard swimming pool.
And I was good.
When we got to Sun City, I nearly drowned.
The calm waters in our backyard pool did not prepare me for those turbulent waves.
No one noticed that the waves had knocked me off my feet and my head was under water.
I had to save myself.
And I did.
Would I have loved to have someone hold my hand and pull me out – before gulping all of that water? Absolutely.
Looking back, I often ask myself why I didn’t scream “help!” or do something that would get someone’s attention.
It took me a long time to learn that lesson and not repeat the same mistake.
Mental Disorders often feel like we’re drowning in the Sea, even though we know how to swim in a pool.
At first, we can handle the day-to-day turbulence of our minds and hearts but eventually, they start to feel like raging rivers bashing our heads against rocks.
Our emotions become too heavy.
Our thoughts are too loud.
Our bodies become too tired.
Our Spirits become weary.
We never have the courage to cry “help!”
We become entrapped by the prison warden we call Fear.
We keep a fresh facade on our dressing tables so we can look better than we feel every morning.
Only to come back at night and discard the facade because of the cracks our true selves were
starting to create.
Only to do the same thing tomorrow.
And tomorrow.
And tomorrow.
And tomorrow.
Mental Disorders are “things” that we do not always know how to identify, let alone deal with.
Especially in our Black African communities.
Depression is seen as an attitude problem.
Anxiety is seen as confusion.
Anorexia is seen as poverty.
Mood Disorders are “just plain crazy”
And when these things keep us from doing “things”, we are seen as lazy.
We don’t seek therapeutic or psychological help because “those are for white people.”
Our Black African communities have limited access to mental health information that can help us overcome our mental disorders, this restricts us from getting the kind of support we need from our families and loved ones because they too don’t know what to do.
Who can we speak to?
What can we do?
Who can help us break the bars of the imaginary prison that has locked up our Souls?
Where do we find the key to unlock the shackles that keep our hands from creating and our feet firmly rooted in one place?
Healing from Mental Disorders is a journey – a long and tumultuous journey.
But with dedication, discipline, support and information, we can slowly learn to swim through the tormenting waves and finally surf them like a pro.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we are here to share information that can help you identify your mental disorders, as well as support to help you overcome them.
It all starts with being aware.
Being aware of the facades you wear on a daily basis.
Being aware of what those facades hide from others – but never from you.
See yourself in your mirror and see the beam of light that is waiting to be set free.
AbundanceIn Light
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