We haven’t really talked about suicide that much here on Cypher Avenue, but we will share more personal experiences on depression in the future.
Suicidal thoughts are something that seems to pass the minds of a lot of black men in general, regardless of sexuality.
Just recently, I had a 35+ year old black heterosexual friend confess to me, “suicidal thoughts have haunted me since I was 18.”
Rapper/Actor Donald Glover’s revealing confessions on Instagram recently raised a lot of red flags to black male depression.
However it was the suicide of handsome young actor Lee Thompson Young that was the biggest reality check for many people. How could someone who seemingly had everything one could want in the world still be so depressed that it would lead them to committing suicide?
According to Kevin Caruso at the non-profit suicide.org, untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide. Unfortunately, African Americans are 20% more likely to report having serious psychological distress than whites. However, Caucasians are more than twice as likely to receive antidepressant prescription treatments as Blacks. Added to that, there is a societal shaming that comes with black men seeking therapy, so many avoid it at all costs.
Having said that, suicide is still a very rare thing in the black male community.
Lets look at some numbers. According to the 2010 census, there are roughly 42,000,000 Black or African Americans living in the country. That was Million. Now compare that number to the total Black American male suicides in 2009: 1,684. That’s not even filtering out the non-gay sexuality related suicides. That’s TOTAL.
So to say that black gay male suicide is epidemic is incorrect. According to the CDC, the suicide rate of African Americans is 60% lower than that of Caucasians.
But suicidal thoughts are still very damaging to a person’s psyche. While it may not lead to actual suicide attempts, mental distress or depression can influence men to make very unwise and detrimental decisions that can negatively affect the rest of their lives and others.
Rapper Kid Cudi recently appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and confessed that he’s had suicidal thoughts for the past five years.
“There wasn’t a week or a day that didn’t go by where I was just like, ‘ya know, I wanna check out’…I know what that feels like…And I know it comes from loneliness…I know it comes from not having self worth. Not loving yourself.” Said Kid Cudi.
While I disagree with Kid Cudi’s assertion that Hip Hop music is the biggest contributing factor to youth depression, I’ll agree with him that our society’s emphasis on chiseled body images and expensive material possessions can lead to feelings of inadequacies and loneliness.
Share your thoughts below.
My confession as well
Depression and thoughts of self demise is part of the human condition. Ignore it at your own peril.
@Blackpegasus, you’ve mentioned before that you struggled with depression before. What’s your opinion on the myriad drugs prescribed to treat depression? I’ve had slight cases before but usually it ebbs and flows but I’ve never taken the path of prescription medication. It just seems like they would mask the problem if it’s not purely a chemical imbalance if that makes sense.
@rolandgarros28 – there is indeed a difference in being Clinically Depressed versus going through the “ebb and flow” of seasonal blues or a recent break up. A diagnosis from a medical professional should help to determine if an individual is a candidate for prescription drugs. I believe the drugs prescribed today are far better than they use to be in decades past. Fewer side effects with notable results.
Btw: keep in mind that not all people who suffer from chronic/manic depression are suicidal. Suicide is often the tragic result of someone who feels he/she has ran out of options thus making their circumstance hopeless or unbearable.
This was great.
I really love what he had to say. I like his 1st two records.
Also, research has documented that black people tend to experience X amount of suidical thoughts. I think was work was done using the SIQ (suicidal ideation questionnaire). I want to say a score of like 12 or less is considered “normal” within the community (also I dont remember if this refers to ONLY youth or includes both adults and youth). Nonetheless, interesting in light of the other statistics presented in the article.
Truth well spoken. Generations of blk ppl putting feelings and emotions on the back burner to focus on what needed to be done at the moment, yet never getting back around to those feelings. ‘Bag lady, u gon hurt yo back, dragging all them bags, like that…’
All of his songs,even the more energetic ones, make it obvious he entertains some dark thoughts.I’ve always been scared for him.
I’m glad you metioned that our society plays a part in many of us not seeking help.No one wants to be (seen as)the basket case who can’t handle his own problems.Bu if you’re sick there’s NO shame in gettng help.