Blanxiety

Blanx•i •e•ty (c)
/BlaNG'zīədē/
noun
Feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease associated with the daily turmoils of being Black in AmeriKKKa \ usually due to the possibilities of unknown outcomes

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Anxiety is real and alive in the Black community, even though we don't want to acknowledge it. It comes coupled with depression often and we all know that when it comes to mental health, we love to play like it can't affect us. So, we probably don't even realize that anxiety heightened from being Black is even possible. No, I'm not saying being Black is a bad thing, or that it's going to always cause feelings of despair. I'm not saying that every Black person is going to even relate (we know there are outliers), but, I am going to point at the fact that we may have heightened moments of anxiety due to being Black in America. Think about it.


Every day we see on our social media feeds and TV screens that another person who looks just like us has been gunned down or brutally murdered. Not only do we have to face blatant abuse of authority from our police, but now we see every day with our new head of the White House that our Blackness is really not favored, nor are our lives. Could your anxiety be fed by the perils of also being Black? How can you fight the already present anxiety daily if you have all of these extra things to worry about each day on top of other issues that affect all humans?

With images of uncensored dead Black bodies readily available to us how can we not feel some kind of anxiety when stepping out into the world each day? The lack of tact given to our people as if showing our slain bodies to the masses is okay and wouldn't cause feelings of angst can be scarring. Because of recent and constant events, a heightened sense of fear comes with seeing a cop and keep you on edge until they pass or clear the area. Even with their presence gone it can still leave you with lingering negative energy; It can all be so overwhelming.

It's no doubt that the stress of being Black is real even in the workplace. You have nervousness about possibly landing a job because of the fact that there are not many faces that look like you in the field, or you even worry that there may be constant prejudice in the workplace already that keeps you from moving up. Or you're just not able to fully be as comfortable and are spending 8 hours of your day, or more, in an environment that is not comfortable with people you cannot relate to 100%. You find yourself always having to code switch which can be really stressful. Heightened, prolonged periods of stress lead to what? Anxiety.


I know the word I've created for it can seem rather comical, but the truth is: it's real. Being Black can cause a higher propensity to have anxiety issues due to the simple (complex) thing called racism. As much as you may want to hide from the reality of it, or avoid conversation about the issue, you will run across a time where you experience racism blatantly and those feelings of rage, or even nervousness may take over you leaving you with the remnants of emotions unsettled. Those emotions will linger with you and cause anxious feelings or even moments of what feels like PTSD when triggered by similar situations.

Anxiety Isn't Just a Proponent of Being Black, But...

I do not want to make anxiety in the Black community seem light by only attributing it to our skin color. The thought of impending doom that actually may seem trivial to some (test anxiety, heights, etc) can cause anxiety to escalate in anybody's life, no matter the color. Or, sometimes, just going about your day can cause anxiety because of other stressors (did I leave the oven on?). It is one thing to have to deal with anxiety with other 'normal' issues, but imagine having to add fear of just living to the list.  Imagine that all of these things are common to a lot of people but now add the idea of how heightened these fears can be when you add skin color?  (Ugh, why do we ALWAYS have to make things about race?) I'm simply stating that living with this target on your back can heighten the anxiety that may already be there, or even be a reason for some of the new episodes of anxiety within our people. It's not unreal. How many of you feel your nervous system put you in fight or flight more often than before when you just hear or even see the police, or even our white counterparts (not saying white people always scare you; you ain't neva scared lol)? Feel the stress build when you realize that no matter what you do, you may never get what you deserve because you play second fiddle to your white counterparts? That's increasingly stressful when it's what you have to go to every day. How about not knowing if today will be the day you have to encounter blatant racism? Will you be alone? Will you react violently? What would be the outcome? These are things people may think about in our community daily. It can definitely lead to anxiety issues. Did reading this possibly make you a little nervous just thinking about it all, or maybe replay situations in your head?

My point here is to let you know that the stress you feel is understood and relatable. It is okay to turn the TV off or log off of social media to reduce the triggers that are feeding your anxiety. The media doesn't care about us. It is okay to talk about your anxiety and fears with your friends; They may be going through the same blanxious episodes.

But, What About Anxiety, Period? 

I could have made this post about anxiety and how to go about relieving it when an episode occurs, or even how just being 20 something and trying to find your way may have brought on a sudden anxiety issue. I know this. But, I think some of you already know this, as well. Why not talk about the other stressors that feed into anxiety in OUR community, as well? To address some of the issues with anxiety and how to cope, I have also made another post addressing this: You can find that here.

Protect your mental health. Turn off your devices. Talk to somebody. Breathe.

IF you do want to talk about anxiety and depression with me, need some tips on how I keep mine under control, etc. Please shoot me an e-mail at: aisha@begumsmind.com

- Begum, Over and Out!  ;)

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(c) 2017 Aisha Begum All Rights Reserved