depression
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May Is Mental Health Awareness Month. You Hanging in There?
How you doin’, fam? Obviously, as of late, we’ve been talking a lot about health here at The Root. As the world—and the United States, in particular—faces an unprecedented health crisis in the outbreak of COVID-19, our concerns have largely been focused upon the physical aspects of the coronavirus; how to avoid it, combat it,…
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'I Was Just Lost': Coco Gauff Gets Real About the Pressure of Being a Phenom
At 16, Coco Gauff is projected to become one of the tennis world’s greats—buzz that began when the Florida teen was only 11 and already four years into following in the footsteps of her idol, Venus Williams. At 15, Gauff would best her hero at Wimbledon in 2019—and again at the Australian Open earlier this…
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Under the Skin: Tattoos, Trauma, and Tackling Stigma on Black Ink Chicago
Much has been finally been made and explored in terms of this notion of trauma—what it is, who experiences it most, what its effects are. But the scary part about trauma is that if it happens too often; too frequently, it can start to feel normal, which can be dangerous. Your body’s fight-or-flight response, triggered…
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Rapper Diddy Gets Real on IG, Says He Went Through 'Dark Depression' in 2019
While Sean “Diddy” Combs the influencer posted pics of himself to Instagram celebrating the New Year by holding a glass of Ciroc, the “Imma keep it real” Sean posted a video discussing his battle with depression and implored his fans to “lift each other up” in 2020. On New Year’s Day, the fifty-year-old rapper posted…
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Lizzo Gets Real About Her Blues in ‘I’m Listening,’ Kicking Off Suicide Prevention Week
In June, “Truth Hurts” singer Lizzo went on social media to share that she was going through a rough time, ending her Instagram post, “Life hurts.” The IG post, which has garnered more than two million views noted, “I’m depressed and there’s no one I can talk to because there’s nothing anyone can do about…
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Philadelphia's First Openly Gay Deputy Sheriff Found Dead of Apparent Suicide
On Friday, Deputy Sheriff Dante Austin was found dead inside the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 27. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the city’s first openly gay deputy sheriff died by suicide, according to findings confirmed by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office. Amber Kee, one of…
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She’s Not Your Superwoman: Miko Branch of Miss Jessie’s Pays Homage to Her Sister Titi on Her 50th Birthday
With over 46 million Americans experiencing mental illness in any given year, it is something which directly or indirectly affects us all. Yet, black women, in particular, often suffer in silence because of shame, stigma or frankly, lack of resources or time to take care of themselves. That black woman muttering to herself on a…
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Fear, Medication and Black Mental Health: A Physician’s View From the Front Lines
Since becoming a primary care physician over 20 years ago, I made the conscious choice to cement my career treating black and minority patients, primarily in underserved and indigent communities. This career arc spans from rural clinics treating migrant farm workers to predominately black, inner-city hospitals. And while the reports of the overmedication of America…
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New Research Says That Identifying as a ‘Strong Black Woman’ Can Lead to Depression
In the last few years at least, there has been some pushback against the prevailing notion of the “strong black woman” as a good thing, as black women themselves have recognized that vulnerability and yes, selfishness, is an important part of a healthy mental make up. Like so many things that have gotten us through…