Do Black Men Have PTSD?

If you are a black man over 30 and have grown up poor there is a strong chance that you have PTSD.

Dont believe me? Check this out…

PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.

Here is a graphic that shows some of the events that may cause PTSD:

I don’t know about you but I have definitely suffered the effects from #3 and #4 on the list. And with all due respect to the soldiers out there I think I’ve suffered from #2 (combat exposure) as well.

Everything on this list is common in the hood.

I mean have been attacked, shot at, seen a murder, seen violence on almost every level you can think of. I know a lot of us share that experience. Everybody that I grew up with grew up in a dysfunctional household in a city filled with dysfunction. The dysfunction had become so normalized you have zero idea that the rest of America doesn’t live that way.

In order to survive these experiences a lot of us have developed these Hyper Masculine personas as a defense mechanism. We were taught that if you weren’t an Alpha then you are pussy!

Although we have survived those traumatic events and dysfunction but the effects still linger. There were things we had to do to survive and habits that we have picked up that are not very healthy.

• For instance we all LOVE to root for the bad guy. Probably because we can relate to them (shared struggle) and our mistrust for law enforcement.
• We don’t treat our women the best because we grew up around ratchets and rarely saw men treat them right.
• We have carried with us archaic methods of raising our children when we know it didn’t work on most of the people we grew up with. Including ourselves!
• We never got good at reading because we were to worried about the shooters, family members, the neighborhood bully, eating, etc… So that when we are finally get out of that environment we are far behind our counterparts
• We never could afford nice clothes, gadgets, cars, etc.. and now that’s what we spend all of our money on.

Those are not the only effects our PTSD has on us. See graphic below:

But it is not all doom and gloom. Those who are able to recognize the trauma that they dealt with and can take the positives from their experiences and forgive and forget the past transgressions come out with the strength and determination to be great.

I always say there is not much I could go through that would trump the shit i have dealt with in the past. So now when I meet a moment of adversity i am completely un-bothered . Because of my trauma I have become adaptable, altruistic and empathetic. All valuable tools you need to become the BOSS we all like to tell ourselves we are.

This interview of Jeezy on Everyday Struggle typifies what a better black man does once he has overcome his trauma. Salute to Jeezy for being a better black man!

Do not let your past hold you from your future

Are you ready to be a better man? Fuck with me then!

#Bebetterthanthem