When Living the Black American Experience Causes Sleep Loss and Other Mental Health Struggles — Plus, the Resources That Can Help

Ingrained in the Black American experience are struggles to overcome stigmas, discrimination, and, perhaps less talked about, a reluctance to express mental vulnerability. While every Black person’s story differs, there are shared factors, such as systemic racism, historical trauma, and cultural identity, that make these experiences similar, leading to psychological scars that often go unaddressed. Many African-Americans have been conditioned to believe that if they work hard enough, they can overcome their struggles. Portrait of woman at kitchen table (Photo: Getty Images/Stock photo) “Under the guise of ‘grind culture,’ depression, anxiety, and burnout are skyrocketing in the Black community,” Anim Aweh, a licensed, trauma-informed mental health therapist and co-founder of Aweh Support Services, told Atlanta Black Star. “The continual pressure to hustle and the belief that asking for help betrays strength and independence breeds a vicious cycle of isolation and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Capitalistic structures exploit Black bodies for labor while dismissing Black humanity.” Perhaps now more than ever, important research is being done by nonprofit organizations and academic institutions, revealing some of the effects that witnessing traumatic events has on African-Americans — in ways that may not have been previously considered. For example, Penn Medicine News recently released a...