{"id":109224,"date":"2020-02-03T18:17:45","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T00:17:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/?p=109224"},"modified":"2021-07-14T10:41:10","modified_gmt":"2021-07-14T15:41:10","slug":"unapologetically-black-male-and-bipolar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/for-our-wellness\/unapologetically-black-male-and-bipolar\/","title":{"rendered":"Unapologetically Black, Male and Bipolar"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\u201cAll of my life, for my own safety, I was taught not to share my emotions. As black males in America, we have to wear masks just to step outside our homes if we want to feel safe. We can\u2019t be too loud or too boisterous. We\u00a0<\/span>always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>have to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>be conscious of our surroundings. If I\u2019m\u00a0<\/span>loud or angry, I could be seen as\u00a0<\/span>a threat, and that could so easily lead to me losing my life, as it has for so many African Americans. We are not always seen as human beings, so it\u2019s easy for some to\u00a0<\/span>just\u00a0<\/span>take us out.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More than just describing his life as an African-American\u00a0<\/span>male,\u00a0<\/span>Rwenshaun<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Miller is describing\u00a0<\/span>why\u00a0<\/span>the process of being diagnosed with Bipolar Diso<\/span>rder<\/span>\u00a0was so difficult.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>He didn\u2019t know how to\u00a0<\/span>recognize<\/span>\u00a0and acknowledge<\/span>\u00a0that he\u00a0<\/span>even\u00a0<\/span>had a problem.<\/span>\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m black and male. I\u2019m not allowed to express my emotions. I was taught to suck it up because I\u2019m male.\u00a0<\/span>As African-<\/span>American males,<\/span>\u00a0we can\u2019t express emotions. It helps to keep us safe.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rwenshaun<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was sick, but to treat the illness, he had to overcome<\/span>\u00a0lifelong teachings that had now become ingrained<\/span>. How does one fight<\/span>\u00a0survival instincts?<\/span>\u00a0He didn\u2019t know how.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was drinking a fifth of Tequila every other day for three years. My first two suicide attempts were with pills, and the last was with a gun. I put a gun to my\u00a0<\/span>head and pulled the trigger and it jammed on me.<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Surprisingly, he chuckles. \u201c<\/span>I told myself: \u2018Son, you need to get better. You need to get back to therapy, get back on meds, and\u00a0<\/span>get better<\/span><\/i>.\u2019\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2006, three years before the epiphany described above took place,\u00a0<\/span>Rwenshaun<\/span>, now a\u00a0<\/span>counselor<\/span>, a mental health advocate<\/span> and an TCSPP international psychology<\/a> student,<\/span>\u00a0had<\/span> been diagnosed with Bipolar\u00a0<\/span>Disorder\u00a0<\/span>and given a treatment plan<\/span>\u00a0while an undergrad playing track and football at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy initial onset of symptoms<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>came when I injured my knee<\/span>. I had knee surgery and it got to the point where I wouldn\u2019<\/span>t leave my dorm room … I\u00a0<\/span>wouldn\u2019t talk to anyone. I didn\u2019t sleep for two w<\/span>eeks and<\/span>\u00a0I<\/span>\u00a0lost about 25 pounds over a period of six weeks.<\/span>\u00a0My mother noticed the difference in my voice during phone conversations and my family came and got me and took me to the hospital.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>fully embrace the treatment plan that included medication and therapy, abandoning it to go back to school earlier than he should have, and the\u00a0<\/span>next three years were spent self-medicating with Tequila and ende<\/span>d with the last suicide attempt and his revelation. He went back into treatment, and it was having an African-American male therapist that helped him learn how to be vulnerable and began to heal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cSeeing someone like Dr. Kendall Jackson, someone who looked like me and talked like me, allowed me to be comfortable in the situation<\/span>.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As he started to get better and understand the field a bit more, Rwenshaun learned that there weren\u2019t a lot of black therapists practicing. He determined that he would become a therapist, but wanting to get involved as soon as possible, he began working in group homes and community support \u2013 positions that helped him to understand the importance of being able to share his story and gave him a view of the clinical component.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw\u00a0<\/span>what was<\/span>\u00a0needed. I began to see the gaps in care, treatment and awareness. I saw what we don\u2019t know about mental health challenges and how they present in the black community.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He began Eustress, Inc. in 2013 to raise awareness around mental health. What began as a walk to raise awareness in Charlotte, NC has grown into an organization that gives<\/span>\u00a0scholarships\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0young,<\/span>\u00a0black men pursuing a degree in counseling, psychology or social work, hosts<\/span> three annual awareness walks and hosts<\/span>\u00a0events across the country \u2013 events that make the idea of mental health more accessible and less daunting.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We host Adult Coloring Nights, men\u2019s yoga classes, weekly conference calls where men can call in just to talk about different mental health topics and build a community,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Rwenshaun<\/span>\u00a0explains. \u201cThese are stress relievers. Coloring is a therapeutic tool that can be used on a daily basis. These are tools that can supplement therapy.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rwenshaun<\/span>\u00a0also has a private practice<\/a> in Charlotte where he says 95% of his clientele are males of color. In partnership with a nonprofit, he offers free counseling to 7<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0and 8<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0graders at a local middle school, as well as to their teachers and families. \u201cThe goal is not only to help the students address their needs, but help their support system address their needs as well. I want to change the entire ecosystem of how mental health is viewed.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to understand that mental health challenges can happen to any of us. Don\u2019t be ashamed to talk about the issues you have going on because I\u2019m pretty sure there\u2019s someone out there dealing with some of the same things. Once you start to talk, you can build community, build a support system and then you don\u2019t have to do it alone.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

____________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

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\u201cAll of my life, for my own safety, I was taught not to share my emotions. As black males in America, we have to wear masks just to step outside our homes if we want to feel safe. We can\u2019t be too loud or too boisterous. We\u00a0always\u00a0have to\u00a0be conscious of our surroundings. If I\u2019m\u00a0loud or angry, I could be seen as\u00a0a threat, and that could so easily lead to me losing my life, as it has for so many African […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":109230,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[704],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1086],"class_list":["post-109224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-our-wellness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUnapologetically Black, Male and Bipolar - Insight Digital Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rwenshaun Miller is dedicated to helping other males of color overcoming challenges and stereotypes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/for-our-wellness\/unapologetically-black-male-and-bipolar\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unapologetically Black, Male and Bipolar - 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