The Hampton Script

Deja Dodson- Staff Writer

In an effort to effectively curb the effects of mental health, more holistic approaches should be considered. Medicine is not the only resort and this is why it is important to analyze the benefits of talk therapists, especially within the African American community.

Benefits of going to talk therapy include being able to resolve your personal problems with guidance

and support, reducing psychological problems, return to a healthy status, and more according to Potomac Psychiatry. Think of this analogy, we eat oranges and other citrus fruits to help build our immune systems to fight infections

and diseases. We drink teas and eat vegetables to help supply nutrients and vitamins to our bodies to make it stronger. We workout and intake calcium to support bones before they break. According to sources if we took the time to talk out and exercise our minds we would not need medicines to help with our mental issues because talk therapy should be enough.

Many celebrities are speaking in support of talk therapy. Detroit rapper, Big Sean has recently spoken about the wonders of therapy and how it improved his standard of living. In an interview with Detroit news he said, “I got a good therapist, I was blessed enough to talk to some super spiritual people, and they made me realize what I was missing in my life and one thing I was missing was clarity.”

Another famous celebrity who has spoken about mental health is popular rapper Kid Cudi. He has constantly spoken about his struggles with

substance abuse and how he eventually sought help. As many recall, in 2016 he posted a message that went viral stating “My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it … It’s time to fix me. I’m nervous but I’mma get through this.” He has since spoken about his depression and how he tried to use drugs to fix it. He also explained how therapy has helped to get in a better state of mind where he feels free.

Removing the stigma around mental health also means removing the stigma around the ways in which people choose to heal. Medicine is one route, but it may not be the most effective on its own. Talk therapy could be an alternative that, through awareness and education, can be utilized in a more fruitful fashion.