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Post by Admin on May 2, 2017 14:49:29 GMT -4
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Post by Mandeep Gill on May 2, 2017 17:09:52 GMT -4
"Everyone has mental health. And seeking assistance or help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength." The last line of this article to me is a very powerful quote because it takes a lot out of certain people to admit to themselves that they can't solve all of the world's problems on their own and they need someone to watch their back. In this article, Lauren Carson stated she had tried to commit suicide twice when she was younger and a huge struggle she had with this problem was that she was unable to find the support structure she needed to pull herself out of this situation. When she was able to pull herself out of that situation, she realized what she had to do next and that was to give back to the community and help others who find themselves in her same situation. I truly think what she has done with her nonprofit organization Black Girls Smile is something extraordinary because this tells me she does not want anyone else to go through what she did in the past on their own and end up with a consequence worse than what she may have gone through. I am also very confident that what Carson is doing with her organization is benefitting many people and I'm sure she herself feels very satisfied with her actions since she can relate to those she helps on a personal level. Lastly, I feel as though what Carson is doing with her organization is a chain reaction in the sense that her helping others to get out of their depression will eventually lead these individuals to help others who are also depressed and this whole chain will be there to support their local communities since they all know how serious of a mental illness depression can really be.
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Jose Berrios Mendez
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Post by Jose Berrios Mendez on May 2, 2017 18:57:53 GMT -4
The article relays a truth that isn't talked about at all in household settings. Speaking out & telling someone how you feel is portrayed as being weak & not "man or woman" enough, we are often told to "suck it up" (pardon my language) & keep moving. The anger & sadness keeps bottling up until you explode & take action on things that you or your family might regret later on. In my personal case, I was always angry & doubting myself as a person but I was lucky enough to meet a person who has gone through a similar situation & seeked help. The person that I'm referring to is my girlfriend, she has been the one encouraging me to open up to her & tell her how I feel without any judgement. Overtime, even if I speak to her for 5 minutes at a time, since I'm always buried in my books, it takes a lot of stress & anger away. My girlfriend always tells me "One day at a time, one day at a time" & that's what Mrs. Carson is doing, she knows she has depression & knows what the warning signs are & tries to be better everyday.
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Post by Harneet Ghumman on May 3, 2017 18:19:29 GMT -4
The “happy mask” is worn by many in society and recognized very rarely. As we go on through our lives we rarely stop to check up on each other and for some it is often easier to fake a smile then to open up to someone, even if it is to your loved ones. I applaud Lauren Carson for “coming out” after her second suicide attempt and telling her family and friends of her condition. I personally have always been a private person and recently I have been with dealing with a lot of issues in my personal life. In the past I have always chose to keep to myself, however they say the world opens up when you do and so I simply made a choice not to hide my problems. Like Lauren Carson I have found it therapeutic to share with others and along the way I have learned that the more you share your problems the more help you will find. In regards to Lauren Carson, it was beautiful to see how she turned her situation into a positive by starting a nonprofit called Black Girls Smile. Black Girls Smile helps individuals in the African American society to recognize or acknowledge mental illness, and openly speak on it. Her non-profit is definitely needed and one can only imagine how many lives it has saved and will save.
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Post by Avneet Ghumman on May 3, 2017 18:41:04 GMT -4
Mental illness is often a topic that is taboo and shunned in society. It makes people uncomfortable and individuals suffering can often feel ashamed. Lauren Carson, was once apart of this group, and in this article she explains the hardships of living with a mental illness. She explains that she began medication at the age of 15, but it was nearly not enough to resolve her problems. Carson states that it was not until she was hospitalized twice, that she realized what she really needed was support. From the beginning she was raised to keep her feelings inside and remain strong, however as the saying goes the tighter you hold on, the more it hurts. Her closing sentence in the interview, “seeking assistance or help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength,” is a great representation of her nonprofit organization, Black Girls Smile. With Black Girls Smile, Carson can continue to empower and uplift several other people and possibly prevent girls like her from going through the same trials.
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Post by Khadeja Chowdhury on May 3, 2017 19:06:23 GMT -4
The last line in the article is powerful and resonates: "And seeking assistance or help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength." So many people in today's world, myself included, at some point have felt that admitting that they were depressed or needed some emotional support was a sign of weakness. I've learned, as did Lauren, that this is far from the truth. As the article states, it is okay not to be okay. It is critical that there are organizations such as Black Girls Smile that focuses on this message, especially in the African American community that is often already shortchanged. If we simply educate people on what depression is-- not just a feeling that one can just pull themselves out of, but a profound dysfunction in functionality that is contributed to by both interplaying genetic and environmental factors, many people can stop hiding their struggle and share their mental illness with their family and friends to get the support they need. Once they have this support, the quality of life for the person, and their family, will significantly improve, and the first step to achieving this goal is education. Lauren is a fine example of how seeking help can lead a person down a much brighter and positive path, from two suicide attempts to building an organization dedicated to educating young girls on their own mental health. We can help these young girls, many of who are still struggling in secret, by breaking down their communication barriers they have built on a foundation of fear and allow them to find this brighter path just as Lauren has.
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Post by James Fluss on May 3, 2017 19:57:02 GMT -4
“Black Girls Smile” has clearly taken tremendous strides in providing a safe haven and outlet for many children across the country in various public schools as well as after-school programs. Ms. Carson, based on her own accounts has seen firsthand the trouble in dealing with depression. Particularly, I thought this article did an incredible job discussing the plight of African American girls, who are often told that they must be strong and independent as their mothers and mothers before them shared that mentality and unfortunately did not have programs growing up to help deal with such issues. Sadly, I have also heard about similar beliefs in another field of medicine such as Obstetrics and Gynecology. In this case, African American mothers did not allow their daughters to see a clinician for a regular Pap smear beginning at age 21 (as recommended by the current health guidelines), as the OBGyn clinic was viewed by their mothers and taught to them at a young age as a “place only for dirty girls”. Overall, I think it is very important that these ways of thinking are phased out for the upcoming generation, as medicine progresses and mental health specifically, no longer has to take a back seat for treatment.
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Post by Jillian Kelly on May 4, 2017 16:29:44 GMT -4
I liked the article but I love the student's comments. An important point of the article is that people should be honest about their mental health issues so that they open themselves up to receiving help, and so that other people who choose to keep their issues to themselves, will come out and seek help too. When discussing the stigma around mental health, medical students almost always agree that there is nothing to be ashamed of; however, they still don’t speak up about their own struggles very often. Maybe they do get help and they just don’t feel comfortable talking to their peers about it. So it’s nice to see students sharing a little about their own struggles in this thread. I experienced depression while preparing for Step 1. When my doctor suggested that I might be depressed I said the same thing the author had encountered from African American girls who struggled; I said “No, I’m not depressed. I don’t need to be on medication. I’m studying for boards so I’m not supposed to be happy but it will all get better when it’s over.” Thinking back on it now I see the flaw in my logic. Just because I recognized the trigger for my depression, doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have benefited from some kind of treatment to help me through that tough time. The more that people share, the less stigma there will be – hopefully setting off a “chain reaction” of help-seeking, as another student put it.
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Post by Paulina Perez on May 4, 2017 18:31:56 GMT -4
The Black Girls Smile organization is a great initiative to open the lines of communication about mental health in young girls. Teenage girls are at a very vulnerable time because of puberty changes, social pressure to fit in, while creating a sense of self-identity. It is during this time that they make decisions about who they want to be as people. When depression comes at an early onset in the teenage years, it can be a very sensitive time. I can only imagine what the culture is like, encouraging girls to continually suppress their feelings of depression. Even within the entire society, there is pressure on women to be more tough than ever to survive in a "man's world."
Early detection is the key to saving these girls. An initiative is important to empower them, to let them know that it is okay to talk about their feelings. At such a young age, they can start to incorporate coping mechanisms that are mature (altruism, sublimation, etc), rather than immature (acting out, projection, etc). They should be educated on the fact that family history may be contributory, in other words, that their symptoms are due to genetic causes and thus, relieve any feelings of guilt. More so than any other factor, young girls should be educated about maintaining healthy habits for sleep, nutrition, and exercise. The importance of a healthy body in congruence with a balanced mind cannot be overemphasized.
Finally, the stigma around mental illness needs to be extinguished before it even originates. This can have a substantial impact on how teenagers view their mental health, by increasing their own insight into the mental state. This educational portion allows providers to have open conversations about treatment options including therapy and medication. The stigma that follows psychiatric medications goes beyond the social construct. There have been studies that show that polypharmacy and a psychiatric diagnosis increases a patient's morbidity and mortality. This should not be take lightly. However, the therapeutic advantage of medication should be emphasized and side effects closely monitored. I hope that this organization reaches the lives of many girls in its trajectory, and saves them from what is a manageable but sometimes difficult diagnosis.
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Post by ahmadirshad on May 7, 2017 3:35:37 GMT -4
Ms. Carson, through her own experience talks about dealing with depression and brings her perspective to “Black Girls Smile.” Her voice in this article highlighted the plight of African American Girls growing up and the challenges they faced. She encourages them to be strong and independent and follow in the footsteps of their mothers and grandmothers. These negative impacts can affect generation after generation given the history of this country but to break out of the culture. The culture around mental illnesses is slowly changing in this country but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.
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Post by Kwadwo Ansong on May 7, 2017 18:46:29 GMT -4
Ms Carson was very courageous to talk about her struggles. Mental health is an issue that many people, both young and old, deal with but don't talk about because of fear of being stigmatized. There have been many instances where people struggling with mental health didn't seek help and ended up committing suicide. There are also articles about how many medical students experience depression and hide it only to commit suicide when they feel overwhelmed. An example is the MS3 student from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine who committed suicide from depression last year and it was the third incident at the school in two years. Ms Carson is doing an excellent work of bringing awareness to the struggles many people go through and this will help those dealing with mental health open up. More needs to be done to make people understand that having a mental health problem is like having any other disease, which would allow sufferers to seek help when they need it.
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Post by Akram Uraizee on May 7, 2017 19:16:35 GMT -4
Black Girls Smile is a great initiative that deserves greater publicity and recognition. Mental health issues are rampant in society and are only growing. For people that are part of communities that consider depression and other mental health conditions as being signs of weakness, it poses a greater challenge to these individuals to seek help for their conditions. Seeing a therapist or taking medications for mental ailments may be frowned upon by certain groups of people and this makes it more difficult to get the care that a person needs without being reprimanded by society. Black Girls Smile seems to be creating a paradigm shift by informing people that it is okay to seek help when necessary. They are also teaching coping skills and self-care methods, which is a great effort to help young African Americans work through any mental health struggles they may be facing. Lauren Carson, founder of Black Girls Smile, seems to be the perfect person for the job. She found a void in the African American community and is working to fill it through her efforts with Black Girls Smile. Her history of depression and 2 suicide attempts with hospitalization is noteworthy and best exemplifies what a person with mental health issues may experience. I applaud her for opening up about her history of depression. It is evident that her transparency has allowed others to feel more comfortable about their own personal mental health struggles and is making it possible for them to seek help through her. Mental health is not the easiest topic to discuss with others but it is certainly one of utmost importance and it must be given the attention that it deserves. It should not be something a person should find shameful nor should a person be discouraged from discussing it with others.
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Post by Faisal Uraizee on May 7, 2017 19:23:32 GMT -4
Great to see that there is a growing awareness of the struggles that many people face in regards to mental health-related issues. I've come to realize that mental health is just as, if not more, important than physical health. The discussion on physical health and related topics such as diet and exercise has certainly overshadowed the significance of mental health and the need to address mental health concerns in our life. It's often viewed as taboo to discuss issues with mental health, and as Lauren Carson suggested that it may even be perceived as a sign of weakness. This is certainly a reason for why many people who suffer with a mental illness remain in denial of their condition and/or refrain from seeking help. There need to be more organizations that provide assistance to those, especially the youth, suffering with psychiatric conditions. I do believe that having insight on your condition can offer a different perspective on life; one that may be the reason for someone choosing to live. And this perspective may also just be whats needed to alleviate a degree of suffering. I can only imagine how much more one would suffer if he or she were not aware of their mental illness. I applaud Lauren for finding inspiration in her own journey with depression to create an organization that reaches out to those suffering with mental illnesses, in hopes that they may find relief sooner than later. The last few lines of the article resonate with me and give off a great message --- seeking assistance with one's mental health issues is certainly a sign of strength. Black Girls Smile is serving as a great example to others and hopefully more initiatives develop that serve the same purpose as Black Girls Smile but in other communities as well.
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Post by Aishat Zurakat ASU on May 8, 2017 21:58:25 GMT -4
We all have something going on in our lives although with difference in severity. Failing to achieve what we planned simply means we get another opportunity to do it better, giving up would not make it easier. If things just don't seem to go your way, it means you have to change the direction you are moving. First, let it all out, share it with people around you, they could have the key to solve the problem. Keeping it all to yourself will only harm you and you would probably be moving farther from the help you need. Sharing whatever is stressing you will help both yourself and the person you share it with, as the person is also learning from you. When a person loses all hope and fails to get up on their feet and then decides that their life is not worthy, it is really heart breaking. Lauren is targeting the perfect age bracket. The is the time where we feel out of place or think we are strange. Helping them understand that whatever is going on is normal, and it is OK to feel however way they are feeling would reduce the ever high suicide rates. She is also the perfect person to do this as she was also 15 when she was diagnosed with clinical depression. Medication is not all a depressed person needs, they need all the support and encouragement they can get. Even if it is something as little as a smile, you don't know what that can do.
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Post by Alejandro Macias (MS3) UMHS on May 10, 2017 8:29:04 GMT -4
I think what Lauren Carson is doing for young African American girls is truly inspiring. I believe the mental health community can benefit by having more individuals like Ms. Carson, who can reduce the mental health stigma by actively teaching coping skills and self-care methods. Ms. Carson, who suffers from depressions and has survived two suicide attempts, is teaching young girls that they can actively seek help to learn how to get through stressful situations in their lives. Through her organization, Black Girls Smile, which operates out of Atlanta, it is a pioneer in educating on the importance of mental health literacy. Ms. Carson is providing education to mental health like others have done for physical health. She is ensuring that young women are equipped for dealing with life’s stressors, and that they do not have to be afraid to learn how to manage their stress effectively without necessarily resorting to medical interventions as the initial approach. The skills she is teaching can help an individual's depression to be addressed and managed far before it becomes detrimental to the person's functionality and/or life itself. Furthermore, I found her technique to be unique in that it uses an individualized approach, where she uses the person's particular strengths and interests as foundations to build such skills. I feel that the mental health community can benefit from similar models to what Ms. Carson is doing to be replicated within various cultures, age groups, and communities.
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