#mental health support for black women

[inherpower]

Gratitude

How often do you just stop and reflect on the things that you are grateful for? I know it may seem insignificant to do but there's nothing small about being grateful.

[auntymurda]

[itstiannajkae]

mental healing reminders for black women: a thread for you.✍🏾🫶🏾💗🧠

ig: blkgirlarchive

Grab our free workbook, designed for black women just like you! A gift for you; delivered to your inbox! Limited copies available!! Grab yours now!

[theegreenmuse]

𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝: 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐫-𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬

☞ The Pressure to Conform

🪷 Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the pressure to conform to a hyper-sexualized image, one that’s both celebrated and critiqued. As Black women, where our feeds are flooded with images of glamour, wealth, and a very specific type of aesthetic appeal, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling short if you can’t keep up. The portrayal of Black femininity through the lens of artists like Megan, Ice Spice, Sexyy Red, and Rubi Rose offers a powerful narrative of control and confidence, but when these portrayals become the standard against which all Black women are measured, it’s problematic. This isn’t about diminishing the achievements or creative expressions of these artists; rather, it’s about recognizing the complexity of their impact.

☞ Influence of Media on Perceptions

🪷 This generation of Black men, influenced by the images they consume in media, sometimes unknowingly perpetuate these standards, equating a Black woman’s worth with her ability to fit into this hyper-sexualized mold. It’s crucial to recognize that this perspective is deeply flawed. Our value isn’t defined by our sexuality or our willingness to conform to these standards. It’s defined by our character, our intelligence, our kindness, and our contributions to society.

☞ The Exhaustion of Unrealistic Standards

🪷 It’s exhausting, really. The constant bombardment of these images can make it feel like our worth is contingent upon our appearance and how closely it aligns with the glamorized, sexualized portrayal of Black femininity in the music industry. But let’s set the record straight: our worth is intrinsic, not something to be measured against a fabricated standard designed for entertainment and male gaze gratification.

☞ Rejecting Unrealistic Expectations

🪷 Here’s your sign to reject these unrealistic expectations. Embrace your individuality, your talents, and your dreams. Remember, the confidence and self-assuredness displayed by artists like Megan, Ice Spice, and Sexyy Red can be channeled in myriad ways, not just through sexuality. Their underlying message of empowerment is about owning your identity, speaking your truth, and living unapologetically—let that be the takeaway.

☞ Celebrating Diverse Black Womanhood

🪷 It’s time we shift the narrative. Let’s celebrate the diversity of Black womanhood, which encompasses far more than what’s seen in music videos and on social media. Our beauty, intelligence, and worth extend beyond the confines of the hyper-sexualized standards set forth by any industry. We are scholars, creators, leaders, and so much more.

☞ Building a Supportive Community of Black Women

🪷 So here’s to us, to embracing our full selves with grace and power. To knowing that our worth is immeasurable, our beauty is diverse, and our potential is limitless. Let’s navigate this world with the confidence of knowing who we are, rooted in the richness of our heritage, and unfazed by the fleeting trends of societal approval. Your light is needed, just as you are.

🪷 It's time for us to reclaim our narrative and celebrate our diverse and intrinsic worth. Let's challenge and dismantle the hyper-sexualized standards that have been imposed on us and embrace the full spectrum of our identities. Share this message with your friends, engage in conversations that uplift and empower, and use your platforms to highlight the true beauty and strength of Black womanhood. Together, we can create a supportive community that honors and respects our individuality. Your voice matters—let it be heard.

- 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞

[free-grandmaa]

I love myself

As intensely

As deeply

As passionately

As painfully

As I once hated myself

[444theportfolio]

promotional video for therapy: this was made while I was away at school. the point of the episode was to do a PSA promoting something that we were passionate about. I love to advocate for mental health, so that's what I decided to do.

[iminmypeace]

[asvpklllla]

Hey y’all. I’m a new business owner of a new organization I created in Dec/23. Women’s yearly Mental Health Retreat. Please follow my page on Instagram: ___LumiereDuSoleil & Website:

Thank you in advance. This was part of my vision board for this year. Part of my dream and I get to watch it come alive. ✨

[gymleadernie]

Picking Up the Pieces

Depression has been whooping my ASS for about 2-3 months. I've finally reached my moment of being fed up with it and I want to take the time to write about it.

I keep asking myself how, when, and where I went wrong. I do feel feel like those are valid concerns, but what I feel is most important is how I'm going to pick up from here. Im going to achieve that by finding my balance. Even if it's something as small as making sure I eat dinner on time. Just taking that little bit of control back gives me strength, courage, and motivation to try to take a little more tomorrow.

OOTD: 🍊🖤

[momentswithmani]

Affirmations for 2023

I am one of a kind

I am worthy of love

I can make my dream life a reality

I believe in me

I am beautiful

I attract love

I deserve all good things

I am radiant

I am enough

I attract success and happiness

I am worthy of being loved, cherished and celebrated

I am doing my best with what I have

I am fierce, loved, and capable

I am growing + learning every single day

I am worthy of respect

I am worthy of growth

I am courageous

I am intelligent

I belong here

I am worthy of a great life

I am great

I am full of gratitude

I am a positive light

I love myself

I am valuable

Love shines from within me

Love flows through me

I attract loving + affectionate people into my life

I am grateful for the love that surrounds me

I am a priority

I am blessed

I love who I am inside + out

I am worthy of a healthy + loving relationship

I am loved more than I ever thought possible

My self love is infinite

I am comfortable in my own skin

I am proud of who I am

I embrace change

I deserve peace

I am open to new opportunities

I deserve all that is good

I attract wonderful things in my life

I appreciate what my body does for me

My positive energy is sexy and attractive

I attract relationships based on love + honesty

I choose to enjoy the present moment

I am worthy of love

I am thankful for all that I have

My possibilities are endless

I choose thoughts that serve my highest good

I act on inspiration and insight

I use discernment when listening to others

I trust my inner guidance

I choose to be kind to my body

I am admired for my unique beauty

I rise above my insecurities

It is safe for me to be my authentic self

I love myself fully

I bring light to those around me

My confidence increases every day

I release myself from the feelings of fear, shame, and guilt towards my past, present, and future.

I am worthy of forgiveness, compassion, and support

I am heard, I am seen, I am loved

I am safe, supported, and protected now

All parts of me are appreciated, acknowledged, and accepted

My emotions are valid. My needs are vocalized. My feelings are understood.

I am gentle + patient with myself

[inherpower]

Boundaries

Understanding what your boundaries are and how they can enhance your relationships (most importantly the relationship with yourself) is a key component of self care and self love.

[licoroscura]

I just need to rant.

I remember my mom let everybody and they mama know I was depressed and suicidal.

Never mentioned why.

Nobody gave a fck why.

It was like I was on guard watch all the time. But nobody actually cared enough to help. Just make sure she don’t try to khs.

Idk that’s always been so selfish to me. Why can’t I let go of my pain and be free. Why do I have to stay here where I feel heavy and only wanted for what I can provide.

This was supposed to be family. But I guess family comes with strings.

Anyway I’m starting to love life and move differently and more strategically through it.

And I kind of thank them just for that bc I am learning to let go of the pain and to be free whilst alive. Showing me that I can make my own reality and that I don’t need traditional support as long as I have support.

Nobody really gave a fck why and it’s so funny to me bc all the support I ever needed was in my friends and the family I continue to build for myself.

It wasn’t in the family I was cornered with

It wasn’t the parents that didn’t want to understand me

It wasn’t in my siblings who could only stand their pain as much as me.

And all the time they ask me why do I still care? Why do I still mourn over the pain and the suffering in silence the young me had to endure? That shit never left, that shit didn’t JUST go away… just manifested in different ways around me.

I just need to rant.

[glcarissa]

ART PRACTICE

Texture is an important component to my art practice and hints at the unspeakable stories that lie underneath the surface of both the art and the artist.

The geometric patterns in this work illustrate the range of movement associated with the process—sharp edges colliding, shattering and realigning— and allude to the ways that oppressed groups might eventually break through.

[gracefullybrianna]

The Cons • Briance EBEQ •

[radicalacceptanceofwellness]

As a little black girl, my mother would style my hair. She braided and decorated it with colorful beads. When I became a teenager, she let me style my own hair, which I hadn’t learned how to do.

Most days, I wore a ponytail and when my hair got too nappy, I’d ask her to give me a perm to straighten it.

I noticed that my hair would fall out and often was dry, so I stopped straightening it with perms and flat irons. I also tried different hair products in hopes of restoration.

At this time, I watched reality shows like Real Housewives of Atlanta and Love and Hip Hop: the World.

Seeing the beautiful black women on television influenced me to buy my first wig. I used it to cover up the issue.

Of course, whenever I took the wig off to wash my hair, I found that it still fell out. I felt that I had done all I could, maybe leaving my hair alone would allow it to heal.

✨In 2020, I started my loc journey. ✨

WORK— At this time, I was an in-home caregiver for an agency.

When I had done my interview, I was wearing a wig. After loc’ing my hair several months later, I had come into the office to speak with my black boss who also wore wigs and weaves.

She took one look at me and said, What is going on with your hair? I ignored her to protect my feelings.

My hair was short and uneven due to the breakage.

Another time, I had given my white client a compliment stating, I like what you’ve done with your hair today, it looks nice. She had curled it.

To which she responded, Thank you, I’d like to get a hold of yours and do something with it... I’d straighten it.

It was difficult to wear my natural hair out without it being straightened especially, because I had grown so confident and comfortable in wearing wigs.

With those responses on top of my self-image, I had to constantly remind myself that I had started my loc journey to heal my hair and THAT was a great purpose.

DATING— I dated during this time, but I thought my hair made me unattractive so, I used old pictures of me on dating apps. This made me feel like I was catfishing people. With that, I realized I needed to take a break and accept myself first.

BEFORE &AFTER

✨ I approached each day with a “this is me attitude” allowing myself to feel more comfortable with being me. ✨

When I washed my hair, there was ZERO breakage and as the months passed, my boss had started to wear her hair out too.

As of today, my hair has grown four noticeable inches since.

In this story, I learned to not only accept myself but to listen to what my hair was telling me.

What I was doing before was hurting it and taking my hands off was a way to listen.

In standing out against black American cultural norms, I inspired someone else to also without even intending to.

AND, I was able to find a partner that cares for me and my hair. That is to say that,

when I accepted and stood by the choice I made to heal, I could meet someone interested in me— not an illusion. 🌻

[seileach67]

Dear Black Women…