No More Trauma
Besides Essence Fest the month of July brings awareness to Mental Health. July is Minority Mental Health Month. Ask yourself this question, What do I do for my mental health?
For your physical health you go to the gym to work out your body right? So what do you do for your mental health?
Meek Mill has a song on his latest album entitled TRAUMA. Here are some of the lyrics.
“See my brother blood on the pavement
How you wake up in the mornin’ feelin evil?
Uhh trauma
When them drugs got a hold of your mama
And the judge got a hold of your father
Go to school bullet holes in the locker”-MEEK MILL
The definition of Trauma is a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time.
See my brother blood on the pavement- Trauma,
How you wake up in the morning feeling evil- Trauma,
When the drugs got a hold of your mama- Trauma
And the judge got a hold of your father-Trauma
We were never supposed to live like this, we were never supposed to witness murders, we were never supposed to wake up feeling evil, we were never supposed to see our parents strung out on drugs, we were never supposed to not see our fathers because he was in jail.
Now imagine experiencing ALL of that throughout your life and never seeking help. Young black men and women are experiencing so much trauma and rarely seek any help, besides prayer and Jesus there is therapy. “Black people don’t go to therapy, Right?” Wrong more and more people of color are going to therapy that is why I felt compelled to write about this very topic.
The ever so infamous statement in a black household is “What goes on in this house stays in this house”
So mama boyfriend molesting you that stays in this house. Mama and Daddy arguing over visitation for you that stays in this house. Mama is toxic to your mental health because she has her own demons she is battling that stays in this house. Whenever you shake up a soda, then try to go and open it, it explodes everywhere that is the same thing with the TRAUMA we deal with that we can’t talk about because it must stay in the house.
Well let me tell you enough is enough, it is time that we let go of TRAUMA and release the old saying “what goes on in this house stays in this house”.
1) First Step: in seeking help is determining what your insurance covers, mental health falls under your health insurance.
2) Next step: is finding a provider to provide the service, now there is a psychiatrist, which is a medical doctor that prescribes medications, you can see a psychiatrist on an outpatient basis if you want to go that route if you think you need medication to cope, then there is a PhD or Licensed Professional Counselor level therapist which they do not prescribe medication, but they are licensed to provide therapy services for you.
Some insurance providers websites have their providers narrowed down to zip code gender and sometimes race, so now you found a therapist, call to schedule an appointment, now depending on what your insurance covers the fee could range from $10-$125 dollars don’t let the co-pay scare you off if you can pay that gym membership every month, you can pay for a therapist once or twice per month (wink wink)
3) Third Step: The intake screening the therapist needs to get to know you, so you will fill out a questionnaire or assessment to help the therapist get to know you and your history better be open and honest and transparent about your past because a therapist is there to help you.
4) Fourth Step: Preparing to go to your appointment, write down what you want to say or address in therapy for your first session, you can write down you want to talk about the trauma from your childhood, or your current relationship. Go in there with a goal you want to achieve.
5) Fifth Step Going to your appointment and Walking in Ready to Heal and Face your Fears, Trauma, and Post Traumatic Stress.
Recommendations for additional support on all platforms.
Therapyforblackgirls.com