How many times have you dismissed a friend or family member’s bizarre, rude, or inappropriate actions? Many people, particularly Blacks, tend to say things such as, “Melissa is just crazy,” “Mike is being Mike,” or “Vanessa is cranky” when a person exhibits certain characteristics. However, rather than casually dismissing one’s behavior, it may be beneficial to you and your loved one if you take a closer look and dig deeper.
Mental illness remains taboo in the Black community. For decades, we’ve turned the other cheek to mental illness and viewed it as something that doesn’t exist in our culture. Here’s a reality check: not only does mental illness exist among African-Americans, but we also suffer from it at disproportionate rates. A sad reality to this disparity is that people who actually have a mental illness often go undiagnosed, which not only affects them, but also inadvertently affects the community.
One of the primary reasons one may never be considered to have a mental illness is the misconception that mentally ill people only exhibit “weird” behavior such as walking in circles or compulsively scratching oneself. Contrary to what many believe, a person who suffers from some sort of mental disorder can be as “regular” as you or I. That person could be an accomplished musician, a famed actress, or a Fortune 500 executive. There is no “face” of mental illness…it can be the 10-year-old child next door, your husband of 30 years, or even a coworker.
Do you know someone whose mood seems to fluctuate — during one period of time that person is very happy, followed by a bout of depression? If so, that person may suffer from bipolar disorder, which affects 5.7 million people over the age of 18 in the United States. While it’s important not to become too paranoid and think that everyone you know has some form of mental illness, it is wise to be mindful of the signs.
As the Recorder went to print this week, there were three tragic incidents that occurred where people were killed at the hands of individuals who were believed to be mentally ill. One was the Maryville, Ill. pastor who was shot Sunday while delivering his sermon. His killer was a 27-year-old man who was diagnosed as mentally ill. The other incident happened Tuesday when Michael McClendon, 27, killed 10 people including his mother before killing himself. On Wednesday, a teenager dressed in black combat attire killed 15 people at his former school. The assailant was later killed during a shoot off with police.
While diagnosis of mental illness is key in preventing crimes such as these, it’s also imperative to ensure that people receive proper long-term treatment after the initial diagnosis.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the United States is doing a poor job of treatment of the mentally ill. As a matter of fact, the advocacy group gave the U.S. a near-failing D grade — the same rating it received three years ago.
According to the report, 14 states improved their grade since the last report card, while 12 states fell backward.
Wondering how Indiana faired? Not so good.
The Hoosier state received the same grade it did in 2006 — a D. The report noted that while Indiana’s “population is becoming increasingly diverse, (the Division of Mental Health) has done little to increase workforce cultural competence or reduce disparities in care for racial and ethnic minorities.”
It also stated that serious mental illnesses continue to be over-represented in the state’s jails and prisons. “There are only four mental health courts to provide post-booking jail diversion. Vital services for people reentering communities following incarceration — such as housing and employment — are lacking.”
Before any political blame-games can be played, read what NAMI said in its conclusion about Indiana:
“In 2006, Indiana’s FSSA secretary blamed the state’s low grade on poor administration by previous leadership, implying that mental health services would improve under his watch. Sadly, three years later that has not happened. The mental health system in Indiana continues to have significant problems. If major budget cuts occur, a bad situation is likely to become even worse.”
Wow…truly unfortunate.
