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The history of Black people is complex, intriguing, triggering, and traumatizing. It began when we were transplanted from our native land and forced to build America from the ground up. From slavery to segregation to our now “free” world, we’ve endured so much pain that’s been transmuted into resilience. Despite our long tumultuous history, we’re still striving for the ability to exist in the same way that our Caucasian counterparts do.

Our need for equality shows up every time an unarmed person of color is murdered by law enforcement. On the wake of the Derrick Chauvin trial, the world is wondering why a jury is needed to determine the fate of a man who was caught murdering George Floyd in broad daylight on camera. During this trial, I intentionally decided to disconnect from the media. In general, I think re-traumatizing myself by watching movies about slavery, or documentaries about racism is counterproductive. Because I knew that watching this trial would be a trigger for me, I decided to skip the entire thing to preserve my mental health.

Detaching from trauma doesn’t mean that we don’t care, but it allows us to tend to our own mental well-being before we take on the emotional weight of being a Black person in today’s world. Advocacy and awareness are important, but how effective can you be if you’re mentally drained? We spoke to a few licensed mental health professionals that explain the importance of turning off the television and focusing on self to help preserve your mental health.

Educational/Developmental Psychologist Dr. Attallah Brightwell, Phd, says not detaching is damaging to our mental health. “I have recommended to my Black family members and friends to detach completely from mainstream media during the coverage of traumatic and racist judicial proceedings. The system in the United States of America was organized to exterminate Black people so JUSTICE will NEVER work in our favor.  The extensive and continuous viewing of such information is damaging to our emotional, mental and subconscious health.”

Paula Martin, licensed counselor and CEO of Flip da Script says we have to detach from things that are beyond our control. “Life is so short and we can’t spend our time getting worked up over things that are out of our control. What affects your mental health affects your overall being. The media is doing what it’s designed to do – put information out there and get you worked up. Its up to us to choose how we’re going to filter it. Despite the protesting on George Floyd’s behalf, murders continued to happen. This is why we have to preserve the energy we have and detach every now and then. It will only affect you in a negative way.”

Psychotherapist Felicia Fdyfil-Horne says take a step back, but make sure you take time to process. “As we all are experiencing collective grief, it is important to step back, process and take the time to grieve when needed. Give yourself permission to detach, reset, and rest.”

Managing mental health is vital to our survival. Pouring energy into social injustices without taking time to disconnect and process can produce high stress levels, anxiety, fatigue and more. Trauma is crippling.  Take time to detach and regroup to preserve your spirit. We can’t control how law enforcement treats Black people, but we can control the flow of our energy cup.

 

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Mental Health Professionals Discuss The Importance Of Detaching From Black Trauma  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com