PSA: Mental Illness IS Black and White

Karyn Washington, Founder of "For Brown Girls" and Advocate, committed suicide at 22 earlier this year.

***DISCLAIMER: I KNOW my views do NOT apply to everyone in any community or race, but it is still an issue for ALL human beings regardless.

Mental illnesses have no biases, yet to me, families of color tend to think so. 

Unfortunately back in April, a woman named Karyn Washington committed suicide. She was known for uplifting the self-esteem of black women who are constantly told by society that their skin color made them "not good enough" or weren't supposed to wear bold colors on full lips... Anything repressing the beauty of black girls, she voiced against and made a huge impact.

Her death wasn't in vain. It sparked conversation about mental illnesses in the black community. I feel that mental illnesses are frowned upon. Looked at as a "white person's problem."

People of color can be told that they're: 

• going through a "phase"
• possessed by the devil
• need to pray it away
• acting white
• to stop acting out

Etc. Etc... The list really does go on and on. But we need to stop telling ANYONE these things. Take calls and yelps for help SERIOUSLY. Black people are NOT too strong for mental illnesses (unfortunately for anyone). NO ONE has the ability to JUST pray away mental illnesses. We're not gonna start off with a "Dear God" and majestically-- with puffs of glitter surrounding us-- become happy and mentally healthy.

No matter HOW strong your faith is in ANYTHING, it isn't that easy and instant. Healing of any sort isn't that easy and instant.

LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE CRIES FOR HELP. Do NOT brush it off as anything but A CRY FOR HELP and take NECESSARY actions: listen, give them hotlines, online sources, suggest therapy, medication... ANYTHING but things that will suggest that they are just being overdramatic and are filled with the devil.

PLEASE. I can tell you that it is not fun to feel like you have nowhere to turn because everyone in your community aren't taking your warning signs seriously.

Please break these habits. Change lives and detrimental perspectives.

If you want to read more people speaking out on Karyn's suicide (a lot of them speak more eloquently than I, and have sources to back them up), here are some:

• http://www.beyondblackwhite.com/founder-black-girls-advocate-us-karyn-washington-committed-suicide-suck/
• http://hellobeautiful.com/2014/04/15/karyn-washington-for-brown-girls-suicide-explained/
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/16/karyn-washington-for-brown-girls_n_5162226.html

You can Google Search "Karyn Washington's Suicide" for even more articles.

And here is Karyn's Legacy: http://www.forbrowngirls.com

Enjoy your day and be sure to make the world a little bit better.