Photo: InTouch Weekly

I juggled with the idea of writing about Kanye West. Not because of the sensationalism surrounding his story, but because of the painful connection I have to a story like this. Mental health awareness is far more than a popular hashtag. It’s deeper than a month of observance. It’s more powerful than a movement. For those battling with the disorder on a daily basis or for those who haven’t figured out how to define and confront the emotional rollercoaster they’re riding, mental health awareness is a life or death situation.

According to the National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI), nearly 44 million adults suffer from mental illness, whether it’s something more socially acceptable such as stress and anxiety or more complex such as manic depression or schizophrenia. Sometimes these illnesses aren’t properly diagnosed because many adults are afraid to discuss their symptoms or deal with the aftermath. This could even be the case with Kanye West.

Why is it easier to wrap our heads around physical health illnesses than mental health illnesses? One isn’t greater or more detrimental than the other. Although the conversations about cancer, HIV/AIDS and the countless other diseases are difficult, they’re still being openly discussed. However, many can’t seem to utter the phrase mental health without feeling the effects of the stigma or becoming worried about labelled as “crazy.”

What do you do when you’re crying out for help but your cries go unnoticed? What do you do when you live in fear of being stigmatized? How do you live with your grief, depression, anxiety or severe mood swings, when those closest to you are telling you to “get over it,” “pray about it” or otherwise dismiss the emotional turmoil you’re experiencing? What can we learn from Kanye West’s experience?

First, it’s IMPERATIVE that you surround yourself with decent, authentic and well-meaning people who will notice your erratic behavior and tell you about it. Surround yourself with the folks who won’t mock you, ridicule you or otherwise continue to let you pursue a breakdown because they are either embarrassed, ashamed or benefiting from your mental despair. Whoever pushed Kanye to seek help did not care about the publicity, the concert ticket refunds or his “brand.” They cared about the man and his impending meltdown.

Secondly, give yourself credit for addressing your emotional disturbances. It takes A LOT of bravery to commit yourself to an institution or allow someone to urge you to go and seek help. The fear, confusion, pain and desperation is enough to make people go into hiding or worse, contemplate suicide. So when you DON’T run and you DO admit that you need help, that can be the beginning of a cold, lonely and dark road where normalcy evades you. However, this road can lead to recovery. It might not be easy, and at times you might travel the path to healing alone, but taking those steps can save your life and enhance the quality of your life. Kanye’s story of admittance to the hospital might be more publicized than his recovery process. However, he has to remember that he’s not doing this for anyone else but himself. You have to remember this as well. During healing and recovery is your time to be selfish.

Finally, don’t become discouraged by people who don’t understand the complexity of your illness. Mental health isn’t something that can be compartmentalized, easily diagnosed or suppressed. In fact, it can take years before the onset of the illness surfaces. It can be triggered by an event that happened a long time ago or something that happened just a few moments ago. You can go long periods without feeling the effects of your illness and then they can suddenly appear and disrupt your lifestyle for any period of time. Mental health is a mountain that must be conquered by smaller, yet intentional steps. And sometimes, people might not understand your trek, therefore, they’ll discourage you or isolate you. Kanye might lose some friends and become the butt of a few jokes, but he’ll also figure out who his real friends are.

Kanye West has made a name for himself from his brilliance and blatant personality. However, at the core of Kanye is the story of a black man who dodged death, only to have it steal his everything (his mother), in the midst of a career within an industry which capitalizes on the pain of its artists. Kanye battles being a genius and normal guy who hasn’t dealt with his grief, yet pushes to make himself known as an asset to multiple industries that might not fully understand (or care about) his story.

I’ve been in Kanye’s shoes (the cheaper version), where mental breakdowns cause you to discredit yourself, question everyone and wish that the world could stop spinning and recover the sense of comfort and normalcy that you’ve been robbed of.

Do your part to understand mental health and to accept anyone who is battling mental health disturbances. They’re not “crazy.” They’re not seeking attention. They’re hurting. I’m one of those people. And chances are, someone you know is dealing with it too. Some people will tuck it away, hoping others won’t discover and judge their secret. And some will wear it openly, hoping that the right people find them and help them to heal and create a new normal.

For more community submissions like this, sign up for Blavity’s daily newsletter.

Saint Pablo Tour

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week