in honor of Black History Month I want to talk about mental health in the
african-american community and I just read an amazing book by Charlamagne tha
god so let's chat about it what is up
everybody this is Chris from the rewired so where we talk about the problem but
focus on the solution and if you're new to my channel my channel is all about
mental health and what I like to do is pull different topics from the YouTube
community or pop culture in general to try to teach you how to improve your
mental and emotional well-being so that stuff make sure you subscribe and ring
that notification bell and in case you didn't know I am doing an Instagram
giveaway and giving away three gratitude journals so if you have an interview go
over there enter it's going until 11 p.m. to night which is February 17th
Sunday so you still got time by the time I post this video and I will be
announcing the winners this week alright anyways before I get started because
I've mentioned that I was reading this book called shook ones bye Charlamagne
tha God and I just want to address this like I've had a slew of comments just
with opinions about Charlamagne to God and if you want to check out this book
it'll be linked down in the description below but anyways I really think
everybody should read this book like Charlemagne the guy he's been
controversial if you will but he addresses that in this book and he talks
about things that I've talked about how you know like for example he'll be
called you know an Uncle Tom as well as somebody who you know is you know very
Pro black he gets called both of everything and that's where some of his
stress and anxiety comes from and all of that so anyways this entire book though
it is talking about the importance of mental health in the african-american
community those of you who haven't got the memory yet I am half black so half
of my entire family is black in case you didn't know the last name bootay comes
from Louisiana half of my family is Creole alright so
this is something that I'm very passionate about there are many many
instances and statistics out there in which the African American community
doesn't get mental health help for example I've seen this firsthand in a
multitude of ways in 12-step meetings there is very low African American
attendance depending on what side of town I was going to meetings are also in
the treatment center I was working at very very low admittance of African
Americans right and there's there's a wide range some of it is you know you
know learn helplessness some of it is the culture some of it is some of these
things that Charlamagne that God talks about in this book like those of you who
don't know about Charlamagne tha God he grew up in I believe north of North
Carolina in the hood and he talked about you know having to prove himself as you
know a black man he was getting into fights
he ran drugs he did all sorts of things but he had a ton of anxiety and things
like that he has stories about how he used to just go in the woods and cry and
things I'm like it's so cool seeing you know a black man opening up about these
things because it's something that a lot aren't doing you know and he talks about
the trauma that most African Americans go through and I've mentioned this
before but trauma can actually be passed down through genetics so with the
history of things like slavery this can be passed down genetically which means
is that you are more prone to things like PTSD because it has been passed
down through your DNA all right but basically what he's doing in this video
is he's explaining you know why everybody should be getting therapy
black/white whatever nationality you are but I think that's so so so powerful and
important that you know someone and Charlemagne the gods position is telling
people you know go get therapy it's it's okay to get therapy but anyways a
question I always get from a ton of people is how do you pick the right
therapist and it's actually something that Matt and I are gonna be talking
about this week on our unsolicited advice podcast make sure you guys
subscribe to that channel we record over Tuesday night trying to
get it up by Wednesdays anyways we're gonna be talking about how to find the
right therapist but I thought it'd be a good you know topic to discuss why
Charlemagne's that god has a white woman as a therapist so like long story short
for all of you wondering how do you find the right therapist like a lot of these
trial and error a lot of its self awareness a lot of it is what you need
and not what you want but basically what Charlamagne talks about in his book is
that he understands why African Americans want to have an
african-american therapist right because it's kind of difficult to share the
struggles that you're going through you know as a black man or a black woman
with you know a white therapist right and it could be difficult to open up
about certain things and fear that they won't understand a fear that they're
gonna judge you and feel that they might actually be racist all these other
things there there is a fear there right and some people don't want to open up so
Charlamagne tha God does talk about you know how you could find an
african-american therapist and all that but talking about self awareness
Charlemagne had self-awareness and understood why he not only wanted you
know to have a white therapist but why he needed one and basically what he
talks about is he wants to have a therapist who doesn't know anything
about you know or knows very little about the black struggle right and he
sees it as an opportunity for both of them to learn from each other and he
also sees it as an opportunity to educate his therapist about things that
he goes through as an african-american man and what he's dealt with as a child
and what he's dealt with his entire life he has stories in his book about how he
lives in a rich you know neighborhood and the cops have been called when like
one of his friends just came over to like pick him up for some fancy you know
dinner or night out or something like that but his neighbor called the cops on
this guy so Charlamagne part of it is that his therapist is learning more
about this and then maybe maybe she could
educate other therapists I don't remember the exact statistic he said but
like I think when it comes to American therapists psychologists psychiatrists
you know there's a very small percentage of african-americans right and this
could be for a wide variety of reasons you know but anyways I think that's cool
of him to do that now like I I just went through the process of picking a
therapist through better health those of you who don't know my channel is also
supported by better help that's always an affiliate link down in the
description if you want to check it out too but you get to pick your therapist
and you know you talk about your history and what our struggles anxiety
depression addiction you know whatever it is and then you also get to talk
about like do you want to pick a man or a woman and like when it comes to
12-step programs men with men women with women rules are a little bit different
in the LGBTQ community but like typically as men with men women with
women so my sponsor was a man right now with therapy like I chose a woman and
this could be for a wide variety of reasons maybe I'll ask her why she
thinks I picked a woman therapist but anyways I've I guess you know to be
honest it's it's part of what Charlamagne tha God talked about and why
you know african-americans don't open up to one another like I think I still feel
you know uncomfortable opening up to a man about my feelings and all that stuff
or any guys watching you might understand what I mean it's always been
easier for me personally to open up you know to a woman about those things right
so that's why you know I think I chose a woman therapist but I will say this
having a sponsor who was a man it helped me get out of my comfort zone it helped
me get used to relying on other men to you know see me get vulnerable and see
them get vulnerable and all of that but again like at the end of the day like
there's not many right or wrong decisions that you can you can have when
it comes to picking a therapist like like I said Matt and I will dive more
into this in the podcast but just know this you can always switch you're not
married to your therapist baby you can always always always get a new therapist
so if it is not working out for you like just find a new one if you're somebody
who has never been to therapy maybe do one session with three or four different
therapists that you pick from a list from your insurance company or whatever
it is if you decide to use better help you don't even gotta have that awkward
conversation about yo I don't want you to be my therapist you just push a
button it gives you a new therapist but just realize like this isn't like I know
your brain is telling you how stressful with this how difficult is and all that
but do not over complicate this thing but have some self-awareness realize you
know do you need someone who's gonna be more gentle with you do you need
somebody who's gonna call you out on your crap like what is it but anyways
again the book is shook ones by charlemagne to God and like I hope the
sales on it is doing well I highly recommend it like if my American you
know viewers or you know my channel's international now but anybody like like
anybody in the black community all over the world I suggest that you read this
book but I also suggest everybody reads this book like it talks about just
minorities in general and getting help for mental health mental health affects
everybody men women doesn't matter you know your
race doesn't matter you know if sexual orientation doesn't matter any of that
stuff we all need to be working on this you know what I mean but I also like to
read books that aren't exactly about me or for me so not only can make better
videos but so I can empathize better with other people you know what I mean
so I think that's important like one thing you know with my channel having
such a large female audience it helps me empathize with women a
little bit more you know but anyways check out his book it'll be linked down
in the description down on the pink comment and all that stuff if you read
it let me know what your thoughts are alright anyways that's all I got for
this video if you liked this video please give it a thumbs up if you're new
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post didn't click a tap right there all right thanks again for watching I'll see
you next time