Acknowledge the feeling (feelings are normal)

Balance your thoughts. If your feelings are leading to negative thoughts or thoughts that overwhelm you to the point that you can’t think of anything else then you have a problem. For example, feeling fear is normal but fear should not overwhelm you to the point that you can’t move forward or do the things that you need to do)

Accurate Information (obtain information about what is causing your negative thoughts and feelings)

Strategize – Once you obtain the information begin to develop a plan to deal with what is causing the negative feelings. If you find yourself worrying and thinking about something over and over again, pull out a pen and paper and begin to develop a plan. What would happen if your fears came true? How would you cope? What can you do now to prepare?

Pray and Praise – Then pray and praise. Reflect on the bad things in your life that you have already overcome and begin to thank God. Remember how he brought you out before. Praise and prayer keeps you from worrying so much

1. I am so secure in the grace and love of Jesus Christ that I am free to admit that I have a diagnosis, symptom, problem, or mental illness. I understand that to live a healthy life, I may have to take medications or to make a change, but I know that having to take medications or making a change, does not mean that I lack faith in God. I chose to take responsibility for my situation and not to be afraid to seek help when needed.

2. There is a power higher than I. Through faith, the Word of God, and the Love of Jesus Christ that has been made available to me, I can be whole. I will come to the knowledge that the grace of God is available to me and that He is concerned about everything that concerns me. I will free myself from the prison of my limitations and realize that God has indeed created me for a purpose.

3. I have decided to submit myself to the Lord. Myself meaning my will, my cares, my weaknesses, my strengths, and my insufficiencies. I am not afraid to look at my character and to challenge those behaviors in my life that are not helpful to me, and that needs to be changed.

4. I will apologize to those in my life who I have hurt.

5. While this may not be the plan I envisioned for my life, I will remain determined to rest and trust in His sovereign plan for my life. I will continue to seek after the will of God during my illness and or negative life situation.

6. I will not look at my current situation and think that things are hopeless. I will remember that every Word of God possesses the creative ability of God. God can speak today and turn things around in an instant. St Luke 1: 35 tells us that “with God, nothing shall be impossible.” Unfortunately, whenever I feel as if all is hopeless in my life, I am a prone candidate for defeat, and the enemy has an excellent opportunity to shake my faith in Jesus Christ and my hope in the future.

7. I will remember that I am not on a dead-end street, so I will stop telling myself that I can’t make it. Instead, I will get into the habit of telling myself what God is saying about me and my situation, not what I feel or what I think.

8. Having a severe and persistent mental illness or other long term problem does not mean that I am crazy, stupid, dumb, or weak. God has a purpose for my life, and despite the challenges that confront me and threaten to destroy that purpose, God is faithful to His Word and His thoughts towards me. I am stronger then what I think or feel because God is on my side, and He will never leave me or forsake me.

9. I will choose to hope, to trust Jesus Christ, and to do the things that are necessary to facilitate recovery and life. I will not just sit down and do nothing. I will remember that faith without works is dead.

Topic

Today we are going to explore the topic of African Americans’ mental health and challenge that lie that African American’s as a group don’t care about mental health and don’t get help.

 Sigma impacts all people, and all people, no matter their race who have to focus on obtaining the basics in life (food/clothing), are less focused on mental health than those who do not have this issue. Poverty is an important indicator of how receptive a person will be to getting or not getting help. A person’s poverty level affects mental health status. African Americans living below the poverty level, as compared to those over twice the poverty level, are three times more likely to report psychological distress. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=24

Unfortunately, even in 2000, far too many African Americans in disproportionate numbers are still experiencing financial instability. Financial instability or poverty has the most measurable effect on the rates of mental illness. It’s easy to see how a person may become depressed when they are worried about getting and keeping a job. Basic needs must be meet first before we can feel safe enough to move onto other needs. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy, lower needs must be satisfied before higher-order needs can influence behavior. 

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” in Psychological Review.[2Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has often been represented in a hierarchical pyramid with five levels.

The needs outlined by Maslow include

1) Physiological: hunger, thirst, bodily comforts, etc.;

2) Safety/security: out of danger;

3) Belongingness and Love: affiliate with others, be accepted; and

4) Esteem: to achieve, be competent, gain approval, and recognition.

5) Cognitive: to know, to understand, and explore;

6) Aesthetic: symmetry, order, and beauty;

7) Self-actualization: to find self-fulfillment and realize one’s potential; and

8) Self-transcendence: to connect to something beyond the ego or to help others find self-fulfillment and realize their potential.

In other words, if I am looking for a place to stay or getting food, I may not be as focused on meeting with a therapist even though I may need to. So it’s not that African Americans don’t care about mental health, it’s just some of us are focused on survival. 

African Americans, because of a long history of economic oppression African Americans are significantly overrepresented in the most vulnerable segments of the population (homeless, foster care, criminal justice, lower-income). But despite all of the negative factors, African Americans still move forward, achieve, and our protective factors have sustained us.

Protective factors are characteristics associated with a lower likelihood of adverse outcomes or that reduce a risk factor’s impact. Protective factors may be seen as positive countering events and include things like: Religion/Spirituality, Sense of Racial Pride, Resourcefulness, Family Unity/Kinship Bond, and community involvement. 

So despite people who highlight things African Americans don’t do, let us continue to highlight the progress that has been made despite our challenges and embrace those protective facts that have helped us.