Depression in African American women is real. Many black women are raised with the misconception that black folks don’t get depress. Or that black girls are powerful and can handle whatever comes their way. But, The National Alliance on Mental Illness has come to dispel these myths.
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Reports show that over sixty percent of African American women suffer from depression. According to some 2001-2003 study, Black American women represented the second highest rate of attempted suicide. In many black families, they’re taught to not spread their business in the streets. And in case you’ve got a problem, try to fix it yourself in solitude, because black people don’t see psychiatrists.
This misinformation has done through the years to black girls is added on a number of other health problems as a result of experiencing depression. African American girls have numerous issues to deal with on a daily basis. Many are single parents that may not receive support from the child’s father. They’re barely making ends meet since the market continues to rise.
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They have to manage discriminations on two levels: being black and female. As African American women continue to dominate their black male counterparts in Corporate America, this silent disease continue to grow. Why, because it’s tough to function many times if there’s not any one in the job that looks like you and you must work twice as hard to prove yourself.
Depression can form also when a man or woman is confused as to whom they are. When you’ve been criticized as a black woman for not looking a certain way it can cause depression. Many in the black community make comparison between each other. If a young black lady is too dark, they are made to feel ashamed of who they are. If their hair is short and nappy, they’re taught that it is not beautiful.
And in many cases these black women develop unresolved problems that may turn to depression and self-hatred. It’s time to speak out against this silent disease in the black community, because what you do not know can kill you. Depression is claiming the lives of 1.4 million black females annually and the numbers are constant climbing.