Mental Health and You: Let’s Address the Elephant in the Room.

It was in July of 2018 when I received the dreaded voicemail. It was a message that I wised I hadn’t listened to: Christina Dzenyuy had passed away. But who was Christina? Christina was a multi-talented and beautiful black girl magic that was one of the earliest guests that I interviewed for Creativeajay.com. I was beyond impressed and mesmerized by her talent and ability that I had to share her journey and her story. Everyone should know of this creative soul and how she rose beyond her naysayers’ doubts, and pursued her dreams in true Christina fashion. To my dismay, I would later learn that, sadly, Christina had taken her own life!

But why??? Why would this beautiful spirit decide that her time on earth should come to an end? that life was no longer worth living? The truth is we have recently lost a lot of incredibly talented people this way. Some that immediately come to mind are Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain, and Lowell Hawthorne (a Jamaican son and founder of Golden Crust Caribbean Bakery and Grill).

Immediately following news of Christina’s passing, were messages posted on social media like “Check on your “’strong”’ friend” and a slew of other seemingly wise warnings. Why do we wait though? Isn’t this something that we should have been doing all along? When was the last time you sent a message to a friend to simply say “How are you?” “How are you doing today?” “How was your week?” Perhaps if we take a few minutes out of our “busy” schedules to just reach out to a friend, and inquire how they’re doing, then they would have shared their inner feelings of pain or depression, and sought help before it was too late. 

How can you help? 

– As mentioned earlier, reaching out to someone via a text message, a phone call, or an email, goes a long way. 

– You can sign up to become a crisis counselor, where you provide support and resource referrals to people in a crisis. 

–  Seek help (someone to talk to, therapy,  medical care) if you’re on the other side and feel hopeless. 

In true CreativeAjay style, we paid tribute to Christina by reflecting on some of her most profound quips. She was a blessing to those who knew her and her memories will live on forever. She dropped some real gems for CreativeAjay’s readers like:

Remember, you cannot tell a person’s mental health status by simply looking at them. Those that seem to be the happiest and most joyous may actually be experiencing the most pain. 

And while there are many stigmas associated with mental health issues, it is time for us to collectively move beyond those stereotypes. This is a silent killer, and we will continue to lose valuable members of our society if mental health issues like suicide ideation are not addressed. 

While we may battle with feelings of despondency at times, just stop for a moment and reflect on something that went well. Are there any victories that you are proud of? No matter how small, they are worth celebrating. Can you think of something that brings joy to your life? Ah, entertaining pleasant feelings can cause a sudden boost in your mood. Sometimes what you may need is perhaps a change in scenery. If you’re in an environment that contributes to a depressive feeling, a temporary change can enhance your mode or even offer inspiration to pursue something exciting. 

While this post is not intended to be an exhaustive review and a panacea for mental health issues and suicide, raising awareness, and having open conversations are huge steps in addressing this crisis. Let’s spread the word – together we can help to tackle this crisis!