Recently, rapper and actor Kid Cudi went to check himself into rehab for mental illness issues. When I read that he was struggling with depression and suicidal urges, I wanted to take a good look at mental illness in the black community. Mental illness among the black community is rarely talked about. It’s a topic that is somewhat taboo for black people and is often looked down upon. In many instances of mental illness among black persons, it’s only brought to light during grim circumstances. For instance, the fatal police shooting of Alfred Olango, a black man who was in a mental health crisis when he was shot. After getting some information on Mr. Olgano, it was clear that he was dealing with an unspecified mental disorder.

All too often the black community fails to realize that our men, women, and children struggle with depression, anxiety, bi-polar, and a multitude of disorders that effect the daily lives of our people. I would have to argue, that this taboo of speaking up about struggling with mental illness is ingrained from black people when they are young. Many black people, including myself, are taught that depression and other mental disorders don’t exist. We are taught that concept of being “crazy” doesn’t exist in our homes. Being crazy is something foreign and applies to other races. I know this concept too well because it applied to me. I was raised in a home where you had to pull yourself up by the “boot straps” and keep life moving forward despite the resounding voices in my head. I didn’t understand that these unwarranted emotions of anger and sadness could be a disorder. These emotions continued through my teenage years and early adult years. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed and got psychological therapy that I understood and was okay with accepting the fact that I had a mental illness.

While my breakthrough and acceptance helped me, I find that so many black people in my community are dealing with mental illness issues and don’t know where to turn to. Many feel that they should be able to handle and bottle up their feelings. This is so detrimental to the mind, but it’s even worse for a black person trying to tell their family that their feeling helpless. Many black families don’t consider mental illness as a diagnosis for their loved ones. This mentality creates a cycle of despair for the family member who is baring their soul and telling their truth about their diminishing mental health. It’s important that black families acknowledge mental illness and change the stigma of mental disorders into something positive. Change and acceptance for different mental disorders in the black community needs to be welcomed because it’s a great way to save loved ones. While I applaud Kid Cudi for getting the help he needs, my only hope is that other black people can come to terms with their mental illness and have the support of their families to explore a variety of options for mental illness relief.