Why do Black men avoid help?
Seeking mental health treatment doesn’t often happen because of the stigma attached to the medical industry. The consequences are negative attitudes or mistrust toward providers, cultural lack of information, unwillingness to acknowledge feelings of inadequacy, and lack of health insurance. In 2018, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that 11.5% of Black adults in this country had no form of health insurance. Communities of color experience socioeconomic disparities such as educational, social and economic resources.
Why don’t men talk about their feelings?
Vulnerability is a taboo word that the Black culture has long associated with being weak or too sensitive. I’m sure you’ve heard “I’m a grown a– man” as it relates to expressing feelings that generally challenge them emotionally. The perception of having the inability to handle your business and the expectation that women place on their partners can alter behavior, producing abandoned communication. During childhood, men are taught not to show emotions. Over time, a pent-up and boxed-in mentality creates an individual who can’t properly articulate feelings.
For men to get help, they must be willing to have those hard conversations. Albeit, to have this long-overdue exchange, brothers must drop the cool demeanor and be honest with themselves.
Thankfully, for African American men, mental health is no longer a taboo topic. The creative innovators behind “U Good?” have built a social media platform that will enable you to connect with your contacts without making a call. Co-founder Evans stated that “communication is such that people want to say a lot without saying a lot.”
Although many express their daily movements on Instagram, they rarely check in and have meaningful exchanges. With this app, it’s easy to stay in touch with your network of friends, all while asking that simple question, “U good?” There are three ways to answer how you’re feeling: good (green), so-so (yellow), or no, I’m not (red). The whole point is to be a conversation opener. Should you hit the red button, resources such as the warm line and suicide prevention hotline are available.
Since the rollout on January 19, 2021, thousands of downloads across iOS and Android have taken place. For the founders, it’s all about people checking in on each other. It’s purely a project fueled by love.
Anissa D. Blair is an Atlanta-based author and blogger with a passion for writing and being a mother and wife. In her blog, “Straight, No Chaser,” she represents everyday women “just trying to cope doing average s—” and covers all topics — from the good, the bad and the ugly of navigating through life’s obstacles and roadblocks, to building and keeping successful relationships while trying to maintain your sanity. No taboo topics here. You can read her work at rollingout.com/anissa/ and follow her on social media @anissadblair on Instagram, @anissablair on Facebook and Blended In Love on YouTube.
