We in the African Diaspora have a tendency to disregard mental illness. There seems to be a lack of respect or even acknowledgement of these things. I’m talking about emotional and psychological issues such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, personality disorders, etc. We do not allow the space for these things in our existence and how they affect us and those around us. Many suffer their whole lives without any one of those close to that individual taking them to someone that could help them.

Why? Why do we dispel these things? It may be a distrust of the medical industry. However, that makes sense for African Americans, but not for Haitians. Maybe we have gotten used to so many centuries of psychological and emotional trauma that it has become part of our baseline. This is an illusion. most of the issues plaguing the African Diaspora communities are results of psychological and emotional trauma that are either from events directly in the individuals life, an event that has affected the people as a whole in recent times or in the past. When one does not deal with a mental issue, it does not go away, it festers and transfers to the offspring because the base reality of the individual is completely skewed and is subsequently passed on to the next generation. We are damaged. History has severely twisted our minds and our emotions and until we deal with these things (like Dr. Joy Degruy and her theory of Trans-Generational Postraumatic Slave Syndrome.

It is time to look inside ourselves and realize that we are not alright. This is not about victimization. This is about understanding the parameters in which we are living, working, playing, raising children, and experiencing life. Until we do this, I strongly believe we will continue to spiral uncontrollably towards the future with very little control on our destinies. Understand your reality, then you can change it.