Health & Wellness

BLACK MEN AND MENTAL HEALTH

BY: ROLANDO A HYMAN - Canadian Certified Counsellor

What are the signs of mental health? What is therapy? Are there any benefits to reaching out and accessing this form of support?

In the Afro American, Caribbean, and African culture there is a lot of resistance surrounding mental health. In the field of mental health there are professionals who offer services in various capacities and are privy to offering support in the form of psychotherapy, counselling, and psychiatry.

A psychotherapist or registered psychologist can provide talk-therapy through various modalities to help identify coping techniques to overcome issues related to mental health.

Psychiatry is more in the realm of recommending psychopharmacological alternatives in the form of antianxiety, antidepressant and mood stabilizers to address mental health that is overwhelmingly uncontrollable.

There is a false belief within the Black community that all admittance of mental health is an opening to be medicated. The treatment of mental health is not only by medication but also by psychotherapeutic approaches which does not include taking pills. So, what is the role then of a psychotherapist? Psychotherapists work with their clients to identify solutions that will promote healthier lifestyle choices in order to overcome psychological disorders. A counsellor or therapist does not dictate to clients how they should live their lives but instead engages the client on a psychological excursion to pinpoint their internal abilities to cope better and overcome underlying issues.

Men, particularly our Black men, should not be fearful or resistant to therapy. It is not a sign of weakness, failure or loss of manhood as promoted by the cultural dogmas and beliefs. I appeal to every man of colour, it is our responsibility to change the landscape of our future by rising up and connecting with the available resources to fulfill our role and make healthy masculinity real, practical, balanced and attractive.

To learn more and access mental health services tailored to the Black community visit: https://albertablacktherapistnetwork.com/ OR https://www.africacentre.ca/counselling.