Black Men and Anger, Your Mental Health Moment with Professional Sista, Marsha Mclean

We can no longer put the Black Man’s anger on the back burner for stereotypical labels such as the “Angry Black Woman” plight. We can no longer ignore the affects of fatherlessness, that are all to familiar for many young Black Boys. We can not close our eyes to physical abusers and sexual predators of young Black Males because it may seem embarrassing. And with centuries of oppression under our belt, we can not stay silent about the necessity to heal the Black Man. With these statistics climbing at astronomical rates, it’s not an option to ignore. 

Just looking at the last forty years and the trauma that Black Men have experienced,  is enough to destroy nations. Yet in still we have not mastered how to get Black Men to tap into resources to promote a healthy quality of life after trauma. With so many tools available on how to express emotional experiences, it seems Black Men are furthering their sense of isolation, anger, and resentment. At its worst, this budding resentment has manifested in an outward expression of anger, aggression, and even violence.

Unrealistic expectations often keep many Black Men out of therapy. Stereotypes of men not needing help or being too strong to talk about their feelings is ultimately the precursor to depression. It doesn't make a man weak to acknowledge his concerns yet many of these labels were promoted during childhood, building “Toxic Anger”.  

Toxic Anger can have physical consequences for the male body. Stress and anger are the worst. Prolonged anger turns into physical problems, causing such conditions as hypertension. For many Black Men, childhood trauma has been normalizes and passed onto their offspring. Angry Black Men, once boys exposed to violence, sexual trauma, emotional, and verbal abuse have been locked into states of despair. 

But there is hope. Finding a constructive outlet for anger is essential to healing. Considering therapy, in any form should be encouraged by loved ones. And educating on self checks can be essential. Be honest about feelings and asking for help is key. Let’s build one another. I am Professional Sista, Masha Mclean, with a mental health moment. If you like this mental health moment, please follow me on Facebook and Instagram.