Don't let society's quick-fix mentality fool you; taking care of your mental health isn't about instant solutions. Join us as we unpack this along with Charleszetta L. Moore, a counselor with a master's degree in counseling psychology. Together, we delve into the complex tapestry of mental health, its prevalence, and the stigma attached, especially within the black community. We also shed light on the urgent need for training law enforcement officers to deal effectively with individuals grappling with mental health issues.
Ever wondered how you can prioritize your mental health without the fear of judgment or labels? We'll tackle this and more, exploring the importance of mental health and therapy, with a particular focus on the black community. Hear first-hand experiences of dealing with mental health issues, from the challenges of motherhood amid the pandemic to the lack of representation for people of color in mental health services. You'll gain insights on pushing past societal pressures and embracing self-care and therapy.
COVID-19, a global pandemic, brought with it not just physical health issues but also a surge in mental health problems. Listen to personal narratives about coping with domestic violence, child abuse, and limited access to care during these unprecedented times. Our conversation underlines the impact of incessant news consumption, the role of person-centered mental health treatment, and the necessity for self-care in the face of adversity. The spotlight is also on relationships, highlighting how mental health can strain connections and the crucial importance of seeking help. So, join us for this enlightening discussion on mental health. It's time to break the silence, one conversation at a time.
Don't let society's quick-fix mentality fool you; taking care of your mental health isn't about instant solutions. Join us as we unpack this along with Charleszetta L. Moore, a counselor with a master's degree in counseling psychology. Together, we delve into the complex tapestry of mental health, its prevalence, and the stigma attached, especially within the black community. We also shed light on the urgent need for training law enforcement officers to deal effectively with individuals grappling with mental health issues.
Ever wondered how you can prioritize your mental health without the fear of judgment or labels? We'll tackle this and more, exploring the importance of mental health and therapy, with a particular focus on the black community. Hear first-hand experiences of dealing with mental health issues, from the challenges of motherhood amid the pandemic to the lack of representation for people of color in mental health services. You'll gain insights on pushing past societal pressures and embracing self-care and therapy.
COVID-19, a global pandemic, brought with it not just physical health issues but also a surge in mental health problems. Listen to personal narratives about coping with domestic violence, child abuse, and limited access to care during these unprecedented times. Our conversation underlines the impact of incessant news consumption, the role of person-centered mental health treatment, and the necessity for self-care in the face of adversity. The spotlight is also on relationships, highlighting how mental health can strain connections and the crucial importance of seeking help. So, join us for this enlightening discussion on mental health. It's time to break the silence, one conversation at a time.
Speaker 1:
Hello, my name is Tony. I'm the host of bougie by you witches podcast. Welcome aboard. And today we're gonna be talking about a very important topic, about mental health, and right here this is gonna be one of my guests. It'll be discussing the mental health this is Charlie.
Speaker 2:
I go by Charlie. My name is Charles Edamore. I am qualified. I have a master's degree in counseling psychology and I currently work in the field.
Speaker 1:
All right, and this will be my their guests, jasmine. Yes, so we're gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna let miss Charlie go ahead and get started with the facts and some of the brief Things that she would like to discuss and talk about mental health.
Speaker 2:
Yes. So when we speak about mental health, people typically ask what is mental health? Mental health is your overall psychological, social well-being and it is very important because it determines it's. It determines who you are overall and your life experiences. Um One in five adults in America experiences mental illnesses. Um, in mental health, conditions are not uncommon. You have your schizophrenia, your bipolar Anxiety. Depression is a big mental health issue that a lot of people experience along with anxiety. Those issues have increased, of course, since COVID. Um Just due to people, the situations, finances, economics, stuff, financial. So we're seeing more of those issues present themselves. You have a lot more people being diagnosed and that's just due to mental health being more widely regarded now, wow.
Speaker 1:
So I mean, it's really important, you know, for us as Human beings people in black, white, whatever color you know to really just pay attention to our mental health. You know, and Like, when it comes to the mental health, do you see a lot of children and adults basically, or what do you? Which one do you see the most of that you have to work with, with the Mental health?
Speaker 2:
um, I actually I'm currently working in the field. Right now I work with adults, but what I've noticed is there is a lot of trauma that stems from childhood Transitions through adulthood. So that is a big factor that we're seeing now like people don't know how to deal with these childhood traumas. You know, in the black community there are a lot of stigmas associated with mental health. I Found different cultures. You know they don't believe that mental health is real.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's sad because it's really real. I, you know, I can sometimes see children and stuff and I'd be like, but their parents don't even really know that baby has a problem because they overlooking and just feel like, oh no, they're just regular, they're just hyperactive or they're just in there that when really they could have a mental health problem and they want to overlook that, and I think a lot of it is people not really knowing what to look for.
Speaker 2:
Or just understanding the size that mental illness presents you know, what we may think is just them being hyperactive. You know, that may be a beginning stage of a mental health disorder.
Speaker 1:
ADHD.
Speaker 2:
Of course, we do know that bipolar really presents itself in the later years, the later teen years, 18 to 21. That's when it's most prevalent.
Speaker 1:
So so, between 18 and 21? Yes, a lot of times. What people do? Find out that they're bipolar?
Speaker 2:
So, and it's really interesting because they show no signs and all of a sudden. It's like they show yeah, thanks, change, and a lot of it is severe. You know it is really severe, the outbursts, the, the violence that can be associated with it. Yes, and you know people don't know that they are actually experiencing an active mental health episode. You know, and with that I mean we've seen situations to where people have have been killed Because of the officers responding not understanding or how to deal with a person.
Speaker 1:
That went out, and that's another thing that they need to work on. They need to train these officers to not just assume that everybody is A normal person and realize that some of these individuals that you are going to go after might have a mental health problem and that you might need to go about the situation differently than thinking that they're a normal individual. Not everybody's normal. Some people do have mental health issues, you know right.
Speaker 2:
So I agree, and I mean even with that, we're seeing more healthcare workers more law enforcement workers experiencing mental health issues. You know, as a clinician, being observant to not only my clients but the people that I work with, right I Mean. You know it is a field that that's tough.
Speaker 1:
It's a field.
Speaker 2:
That's really tough and you're dealing with people who have issues. I mean, it goes beyond mental health Nine times out of 10, they're homeless they're in a it's more than just dealing with mental health.
Speaker 2:
it's the overall being of the person. They don't have a stable financial situation, so these are factors that plays into getting them the treatment that they need. You're not just only giving them medicine, providing them counseling. You're having to make sure that they have a place to stay, that they have food, that they have the financial resources to take care of themselves, because, of course, just like us, if we can't pay our rent, that presents a problem to us. You walk in the house and your lights don't come on. That's a whole different type of situation. That's a strain on your mental health. So you take these people who have these diagnosed issues and you compile it just with life issues.
Speaker 1:
It's a yeah, it could be a lot. It could be a toll on them.
Speaker 2:
Right and with the responding officers they have things going on a side of work they have life issues. So I think, as a clinician, it's very important that we get the adequate training to be able to assist with these situations, and I don't think that that's what's happening. Yeah, I totally agree with you on that, so yeah, Self-care if we live in what I like to call a microwave society, everybody wants to quit.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so true.
Speaker 2:
And that's just not how it works. When you look at assisting someone else, you have to make sure your cup is full. You have to make sure your cup is full and that means taking care of your psychological, social, mental well-being in order to pour into somebody.
Speaker 2:
So true, and I think a lot of us as healthcare workers like that's the part we miss. So when you take an officer responding to a situation, they're probably burned out as well. So everything that they're dealing with is more on the law enforcement side, not taking into account that the mental health of this client, you know, so it's really interesting.
Speaker 2:
I do think that more training needs to be done with the responding officers. I think that employers should incorporate more self-care for the workers, because a lot of that depends on how they respond. Right, that's what I'm saying right If I'm stressed or worried, like I'm going to be hostile because I'm tired, or if I need to take off but I can't because we're short staff. Right, there's not that balance there.
Speaker 2:
There's not that balance for me to practice self-care and you get into that when you talk about mental health, people are not practicing self-care like they should. Right and it takes a toll. You have to take that time out for yourself because we are in a microwave society. You know it goes fast.
Speaker 1:
So true.
Speaker 2:
It goes fast and you don't want to drain yourself trying to be there for other people, Right.
Speaker 1:
So let me ask you some questions. So, jess, have you ever experienced a lot of mental health situations with yourself as well as maybe with your children, or what apartment you've been dating?
Speaker 3:
Oh, absolutely, I would say, and I also agree, go back to COVID. I have four. At the time, I had three school-aged children and a brand new baby that was born in May of 2020. And the whole world shut down Right. So when everyone had to be home school, you learned a lot about your kids, but it was finding that balance.
Speaker 3:
It was trying to figure out OK, we can't, we're being told don't go outside, we can't do any of the things that we do to decompress from our work week and our load, and then, on top of that, we're all in the house together. That was one of the hardest times of my life, and I'm sure many others, and then you feel, you know, and I for me, it was being pregnant for some of that year and then having a new baby.
Speaker 3:
And I was grieving the fact that I finally get to have a girl, but I didn't get to have a baby shower.
Speaker 3:
My family hasn't seen me and then I started feeling guilty, like people are dying and this is what you're worried about. So my mind was racing, my mind, you know, wanting to stay safe, wanting to make sure my newborn is safe, my children are safe, but also needing to go outside, needing to get other people's interactions, and it was a whirlwind of emotions. And then my fiancee still had to work transportation. So it was, it was hard, it was really, really hard and I think now I'm starting to see, I'm starting to realize, wait a minute, you did go through a lot and it's OK to give yourself credit for the you making it, and it's not to discredit what other people went through, but I also had to pay attention to me and my children and my fiancee and our experience during that time as well.
Speaker 3:
I'm constantly having to check in with my kids, even now, how are you feeling, how are you doing mentally? And I have, like I said, I have four, four different personalities around my house. Everyone's different. Everybody responded different. So even just that dynamic alone, being a mom with multiple children, is a lot. I believe in therapy. I'm I'm an advocate for therapy. I am in therapy. My children are in therapy Because there has to be a way to decompress and kind of you know.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, totally agree, and, with that being said, I have a therapist as well and you know the thing that I tell the people that I work with if your therapist doesn't have a therapist, you might want to get a new therapist. I mean because you have to think, just what you said we're decompressing all of this, yeah, so who are they decompressing? Yeah?
Speaker 3:
right.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, like, who are they? Who are they releasing to? Yeah, you know, and therapy is important.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely, Very absolutely, you know.
Speaker 2:
I'm a single mom, two kids so just that whole experience of having to be present with the line of work that I chose Like it's very self-care is very important.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely.
Speaker 2:
And we're still trying to get over the cold but still checking in to make sure that they're okay. In balancing, my mental health is well.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:
Wow.
Speaker 1:
Well, I'm going to be honest with child. You know, when it comes to mental health, you know it does run in my family and stuff like that. I do have a brother. That is considered schizophrenia and you know I felt a lot of times too it just came from him being, you know, intuitionalized. You know, ever since he was 17, he's been, you know, in and out of jail. Jail is mainly been his home and he doesn't currently live here. He stays in Los Angeles, but you know he's constantly in and out and I, you know, constantly I'm talking to him, you know, when I do get a chance to, and let him know, take your meds, take your meds.
Speaker 1:
You know that's the only way you're going to stay on track and stuff. And just, you know, just seeing the different people that go through this and this mental health, it's sad. And just even me having a spiritual story and just talking to different people that come in that are, you know, going through depression and anxiety and dealing with a lot of stuff in life, it's sad. It's like, even though I'm not a licensed therapist, I'm, like, you know, a spiritual therapist, giving them, you know, basically, you know, some suggestions and advice and stuff to do to help them out with yourself, since I am considered a healer and I help people out, you know, spiritually and stuff like that, so I do feel like mental health as well as self love. A lot of that is really very important.
Speaker 1:
I don't really feel like a lot of people really look at it that way. I don't really feel like it is. I feel like it's a downplay in society and the reason I didn't want to do this is because I want people to know how important it is about your mental health.
Speaker 2:
It's very, very, very important and then I mean even looking at it from different cultures different ethnicities right Within our black community. We don't have enough providers to understand us from a social, economic right, you know, to that's in line with who we are, right, right, and that stops a lot of people from receiving services. You know, I have people who prefer to work with me due to me being a black female and they feel like.
Speaker 1:
I relate Right.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
And I would say like, for example, so you know, like when the police will be after certain individuals, and like when things would happen. They would be like oh, such and such, they had a mental health problem, but then when it's this person oh, it's oh, such and such, they're just a thug.
Speaker 1:
You know this. And that is the stereotype of the label. And when, in reality, that person could have had what a mental health problem. But because you are a different nationality, oh no, we don't believe in them having mental health problems. It's just oh, they're just bad. You know, they're just thugs, you know, versus oh, they had a mental health problem, right.
Speaker 3:
So yeah, and it stops us from wanting to reach out too, like I know for me personally, I was scared of the label.
Speaker 1:
I can't.
Speaker 3:
Oh my god. Nobody can know I have depression or I have anxiety or I didn't want the label. You know I was raised church going black household so you got a problem.
Speaker 3:
Go to church, you pray about it you know, but it's okay that I have to learn now in my adult life and I teach my children. It is okay to need the extra steps, while I am very spiritual and my spirituality takes me so far, but it's okay to have a therapist, it's okay to be able to say the word and get that advice back, and if you need medication, that's okay too, but we don't talk about that enough in the black community, because we'll say exactly, it shouldn't, it shouldn't be like that, we shouldn't be worried about what someone said you should be worried more about your health and getting the help that you do need exactly.
Speaker 2:
I mean, you got you ladies like we could like break this down on so many levels. Yeah, and black women right in the mental health arena you know presents is a whole different share of challenges. You know we have those certain stereotypes that we're supposed to be strong yeah, you don't. You know we don't break, and you know those play a factor too in us looking for the help you know being a mother.
Speaker 2:
People think that because I'm a mom, if I reach out for help, you know they, they may take my kids that for me, yeah. I mean, if there's just so many factors that goes into into this, this big thing of mental health. It can be broken down into two different categories, because each, each culture, each ethnicity is represented differently yeah, right, you know even down to the male, female part. You know our black males.
Speaker 2:
They don't believe in counseling you know, you just got to the point to where it's like we will go, yeah, you know so getting over those challenges is challenging you know, just for our community, absolutely, um, and I love where I am in this field because I get to make a difference within our community and you know, it may be a small difference, but don't make any difference absolutely, absolutely absolutely any more questions.
Speaker 1:
So what about the statistics and like when it comes to the mental health? Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:
So definitely, tony. Like I said, we can break this down in so many ways, like what, what you want to know, what statistics do you want?
Speaker 1:
that I mean is to know like how many people basically are going through this mental health, because I think to bring in more awareness to people. That will help out, because people probably don't even really know how many people are suffering from this help just overall.
Speaker 2:
Like I said, one in five adults in America experience a mental illness. That's nearly one in 25 adults in America. That's 10 million people um. It's estimated that one in three women and one in five men will experience major depression in their lives.
Speaker 1:
So as we see. I know I suffer from depression from time to time.
Speaker 2:
So yeah, right and even you know, even with that, it's the small things to help us get over there eating up in the morning opening. Opening your window letting the sun you know, it is small things like that they could assist us with yes you know, developing a positive mental health perspective yeah and staying positive right.
Speaker 2:
So, um, in looking at um, from 2019 up until 2021, um mental health treatment has increased from 19.2 to 21.6, and that's 42 of the adult population. That hasa diagnosable condition that was reported in 2023. Oh, wow and um, with that high number, they still could not access the treatment that they needed so that shows you where we are and where priorities lie right, right um and this is just overall. This is not black, this is not broken down black white. This is just overall.
Speaker 2:
The american people yes um, wow, and you know when you ask about the kids, 10% of youth covered by private insurance. They didn't have access to mental health services in 2020. Oh wow, yeah yeah, the most needed service they didn't have access to, and a lot of employers are just now starting to cover mental health services, so cover over them, wow.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's really important and they're like they should look into trying to bring on and having on their insurance policy.
Speaker 2:
Yep, a report was done and it stated that only one provider was available for every 350 individuals. Wow, interesting One.
Speaker 3:
I believe that, wow, I believe that. I believe that In 2021,.
Speaker 1:
I tried to you know, just knowing what COVID and what everybody went through and how you really saw the mental health go up from people losing their parents, their siblings, their children, their friends. You know it was just crazy. I'm sure during COVID everybody, somebody lost someone they loved or cared about.
Speaker 2:
Well, that also about an increase in domestic violence as well, and also about an increase in domestic violence, child abuse and things like that. Because, like you said then, everybody was in the same house.
Speaker 1:
Oh, yeah, right.
Speaker 2:
So you know with that, the outlets that people had to get out of these situations. They no longer had that during.
Speaker 1:
COVID yeah, wow.
Speaker 2:
So, and it's pretty interesting because you found out, just like you said, you got to know your kids, you found out. You may not even like your spouse Right, I mean people found out a lot of stuff during COVID, yeah.
Speaker 1:
And it didn't really bother me because it was just me and my son. It's always really been me and my son, because my oldest has been, you know, gone since he was 18 and now he's 23. So it's just basically me and my son for some years anyway. So I guess it really didn't bother me when he had to. You know, stay home for COVID and stuff like that. But everybody's situation is different, especially if it's multiple personalities and children at home.
Speaker 3:
Listen I had the 16 year old, the 13 year old, the nine year old and the now three year old. I was in different ages, but I had it in each grade level or each school level, rather high school, middle school, elementary, and it was a lot. And then they're fighting with each other because, where you know, eight hours of their days would be spent away. And then they come home and everybody got the opportunity to miss each other, right.
Speaker 1:
You know you don't get that.
Speaker 3:
You didn't get that for and it took a toll. And then access to care was not, because if you weren't, if you didn't have COVID, we're told, don't even go to the hospital, don't try. Your doctor's not available. And I remember trying to get some therapy for one of my sons just as a check in, and they politely told me we cannot help you. Is your child actively suicidal? No, well then it's about a six to eight month wait right now. So, and we had insurance, we have private insurance. So it was. You know, it was just, it was a mess. It was a time, it was a mess, it was a mess.
Speaker 2:
I mean and just think like mentally, like you were really going through there. Yeah, yeah, you know you may appear to be okay on the outside but, mentally you weren't really going through it. You're right. You know, as a mom you know, looking at you, you're trying to keep everything together.
Speaker 1:
Right, you're trying to keep your watching the news.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, made it even worse.
Speaker 1:
So you're not right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:
And the kids were watching the news, and so it got to a point where I had to just we couldn't watch it anymore. Yeah, my kids started having nightmares.
Speaker 3:
One of them was saying that there's about the news and you don't, you know, when you're in that moment you don't realize, oh my gosh, I'm really going through it. You just saw, you know, your robot mode I got to. You know, be strong for my children. It wasn't really until they got to go back to school that I stepped back and was like we went through it and that took a toll. Maybe I need to talk to somebody. Yeah, so it was a time, like I said, it was a time that I'm and I'm very thankful that we made it out of that time.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 3:
A little many didn't Right. I'm truly thankful that myself, my family, wasn't harmed, and I personally have not lost anybody. To COVID, thank you, but we still went through it too.
Speaker 2:
And I mean even with that. It's fair to say that we all experienced PTSD from this from this situation. Very fair to say.
Speaker 1:
I think it's how a lot of people will start doing online shopping. Yep.
Speaker 3:
I know, in terms of getting groceries picked up or delivered, which, I've been doing that, but I'm. I know there's a lot of more people started doing that.
Speaker 1:
So I said, ah, they're learning you know. But you know, going through a lot of things, it'll teach you stuff.
Speaker 2:
So yeah, and I think you know a lot of the people that I work with, you know a lot of it is them understanding who they are, you know, because we could go, go, go and somebody may say, hey, I think you, you need to, you know, relax or sit down and you know it's like no, no, no, but you have to take that step To get this, this care you know you have to yeah, and make sure that you're working with someone who who's in line with what you want right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Mental health treatment should be person center, which means for you you know. No, no one's eyes fit, fits all right.
Speaker 2:
Your situation can be totally different, right? So you need to make sure that that person that's working with you is your person, because otherwise it's going to give you more mental health issues Just trying to, you know, figure it out, you'll be stressed going to see them. You know, on top of everything that you already have, interview your therapist. Yeah, make sure, like, just don't book an appointment just because you need to go. Make sure that this is your person right.
Speaker 2:
And that's very important in order to get to that, the positive state of mental, mental health.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, totally agree. And then also, you know, being in relationships, you got to make sure the partner and the person that you with don't have mental health problems again. Sometimes they can have mental health problems. It's what and down they don't and they do. So you just all about being careful of who it is that you align, wouldn't you get with?
Speaker 3:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
Oh, tony, that's a whole no, but that is so true that that is so true. I witnessed the situation and I've seen some situations, but this situation just kind of it just kind of threw me off. Went to visit someone. They were having issues with their significant other. I am not sure what happened, I'm so not sure what happened, but he dropped so many F bombs. It was just straight disrespectful and you know it was enough to send someone over the edge, right, you know, in placing yours and I had to explain to her that Somebody else is controlling your mental health. At that point, you know, if you're not trying to get out of the situation like that was enough.
Speaker 2:
To drive you over the edge, and it's quite clear to me that not only do you have a mental health issue Right, but your partner does as well and only one of you are seeking help, mm-hmm, so that's a problem.
Speaker 1:
Yes.
Speaker 2:
So yeah, that's a whole nother.
Speaker 1:
Again, I just want to let y'all know I appreciate you coming aboard, miss Charlie, and you know, just letting everyone know more, a little bit about the um facts and about the mental health, and I'm gonna go ahead and wrap this up Again. As always, y'all can leave y'all feedback below Like, share, subscribe and we'll see you on the next episode. Bye.