Reflecting on Mental Health Awareness: You’re Not Alone

Lindsay Anderson 

Mental Health & Awareness Associate 

​While many of us were confined to our homes for a year, we all experienced some form  of feeling alone. When you have or provide care for someone with a mental health challenge or mental illness such a decrease in socialization can bring on devastating lows.
 

As black women statistically we experienced an immense amount of pressure during 2020 and 2021 with the constraints of the pandemic. When you factor in those like myself who manage a mental health disorder this left a lot of black women feeling hopeless. While we are slowly coming out of restrictions, some things may not go back to our so called “normal”.
 
During the month of July in America, thousands raise awareness about Mental Health Wellness for various groups including black women. Healing Black Women has focused on the importance of recharging ourselves. This emphasis on mental health occurs at other points throughout the year such as May and October. This May's focus was to find alternate ways to communicate through social distancing and increase the prioritization of mental health wellness for those who manage a mental illness in these difficult times.
 
So what can the “You’re Not Alone” campaign look like for black women who manage a mental illness?
 
Find a group of black women that interest you…
There are many groups on Facebook, MeetUp, Twitter and even Instagram where black women have created safe spaces for us. You can find many groups simply by using the search engine in each app or searching hashtags. This allows you to meet women that share a similar experience and can offer support.
 
When negative thoughts arise, write them down to get them out of your mind…
While we all hope that we will never think that we are in this thing called life alone, sometimes these thoughts will arise. Acknowledge the thoughts, but don’t let them stick around. Journaling, writing them on sticky notes or telling a trusted friend will help you move through the negativity. You can also counteract the lonely feelings with writing positive affirmations
 
Give yourself permission to ask for what you need…
If you feel alone and feel like there is no way out of that feeling, tell folks what you need. If you need and can take a break let your employer know that you need time off. If you don’t have a strong support system and are ready to see a therapist, schedule that session. You know you best and you know when life is becoming too overwhelming.
 
If you have any tips or advice on helping you not feel alone leave the Healing Black Women Family a comment or send us a message.
 

Lindsay Anderson is the founder of Consciously Coping, a mental illness advocate, and the creator of #transparencytuesday. As an African American woman who is clinically diagnosed with bipolar disorder, PTSD, and generalized anxiety disorder, sharing her success and struggles within the mental health community is an honest passion. She is also a non-traditional second-year collegiate scholar, studying Biology and minoring in Applied Mathematics. Her future goal is to become a research scientist in the field of computational neuroscience to understand behavior dynamics. She has been featured on ForHarriet, No More Martyrs, and Neilsen Holdings, LLC. Instagram: @ConsciouslyCoping