"mental health, transitions, anxiety, and strolling"

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the internet lately. Partly because I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing with my life and its good way to procrastinate…but also because I realized that my passion for art and culture are things that can tangibly be built upon using the internet. During one of my many adventures through the interwebs I decided to look up a video by Cecile Emeke referenced on Black Girls Talking about selling out as a black actress. Its apart of Cecile’s “strolling” series, in which she follows young black brits and discusses a myriad of pop culture and social issues. Its fascinating….breath taking actually. I sat pantless and indian style on the floor going through just about every video in the series screaming “yasssssss” internally and externally. The commentary and insights are just so relevant! They are things i want to say, things I disagree with, things that enlighten me, things that me and my friends would talk about.

This particular episode of strolling struck me in particular because the women above poses a brief but important point. It kind of seems like depression and anxiety are a default for young 20 somethings. I’m 22, a recent graduate, I’m not exactly sure what moves to make in life. Its dreadful feeling like you are not doing enough, like you’re doing too much…the sheer fear in not knowing can be suffocating. I remember sleeping my last semester of college when I got too overwhelmed with life. I’m starting to realize that sleeping and eating are my coping mechanisms for stress. I think its even harder for me because I’ve known what I want to do with my life since I was in pre-school…but knowing the destination doesn’t always mean you have the map to get there. Although its not posed as such, its totally a mental health issue. Why don’t we talk to young people about the mental implications of navigating the world as an independent adult. I think its especially important for young black people because there are so many other opportunities for anxiety that present themselves. I sometimes wonder if my natural hair will ever be a problem for me while interviewing for jobs. I wonder about my place in a workplace as a woman. Not to mention the agony that comes with just reading about the terrible sh*t that happens to people of color in the world on a day to day basis. I’m currently trying to look for an apartment, meet the goals of my current job, and prepare for nursing school, while processing the fact that a 17 year old brown boy just got murdered cold in his own neighborhood, and his people are being terrorized in their own community for mourning his loss. Its a lot. I guess, I say all that to say that sadness shouldn’t be the default. We need to prepare our young people to cope with transitional periods like graduating college or finding a job. We need to treat periods like these as detrimental to mental health because they are. This conversation is not one thats being had and its so normal to be depressed and stressed out while at this stage in life, which is kind of scary. 

Any who, watch the “strolling” series. its dope.