I'm a Pastor Who Refuses To Pray Black Trauma Away

[orangeblossom]

I wish more churches would do this.  And really, not just churches, the stigma of mental health and the Black community is so pervasive.  It grinds my gears when pastor's say, "just get up" or "prayer will fix it".  Prayer can and does fix things, but seeing a professional can also fix things, and doesn't take away from prayer.

I'm a Pastor Who Refuses To Pray Black Trauma Away

While stigma around mental illness is widespread, there is a particularly insidious silence around black men’s struggles ― one that has been compounded by the church, where stoically suffering in silence is too often encouraged. As faith leaders, we can set a powerful example by preaching from our own experience. I have spoken openly about my battles with depression, and how I turned not only to my faith but to mental health professionals for help. Telling my story to congregants, colleagues, and friends has helped others feel comfortable doing the same, and helped them have the courage to seek treatment.

[thejackpot]

So true. I know we are all damaged to some degree but I really think poverty, absent fathers and prevalent violence that so many people of color face really needs therapy to work through. I know for dh he held onto a great deal of anger that he truthfully didn't know how to express except through rage. While he never received treatment, I will always maintain he should have.

[orangeblossom]

Jun 14, 2017 8:20:53 GMT -5 thejackpot said:

So true. I know we are all damaged to some degree but I really think poverty, absent fathers and prevalent violence that so many people of color face really needs therapy to work through. I know for dh he held onto a great deal of anger that he truthfully didn't know how to express except through rage. While he never received treatment, I will always maintain he should have.

Absolutely. EVERYBODY could use some time on the proverbial couch so to speak at some point in their life.

I totally get what you're saying re your DH. There's childhood experiences, and then you add in the stress of being a Black man in today's world, even when they don't think they're stressed and full of rage, they are.

I have mentioned to DH going to individual counseling, and he'll agree and doesn't follow through. We've done couples counseling, and I've done individual, so he's not outright opposed. He just won't take that step for himself.