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Kids Are Not Okay: Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Affecting Our Youth

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Jamal Clay was the form of kid who at all times desired to help people. He was an intuitive soul, and his mother, Rafiah Maxie of Chicago, called him her “right hand.” Jamal often woke his mother up early so she could drop him off in school before the morning bell and help the teachers prepare the classrooms. At home, he helped Maxie handle her younger sister. “I think there were a lot of times he thought we were both parents,” she recalled. “He was very responsible.” He also had mental health issues – and had for years.

On May 27, 2020, Jamal took his own life of their family home. He was 19 years old. My sister found it hanging in the garage. At age 12, he used the same karate belt he utilized in his suicide attempt. During this time, Maxie and the doctors attributed Jamal’s mental state and low self-esteem to being bullied, and he was diagnosed with single-stage depression.

Attempts to proceed treatment with therapy were unsuccessful because Jamal’s providers weren’t making the agreed-upon home visits, had retired, or weren’t contacting him or Maxie. “There was definitely a sequence of events that let us down,” Maxie says. “We were left to deal with it ourselves and find a way to deal with it, even though we didn’t really have the resources or the ability.”

Kids Are Not Okay: Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Affecting Our Youth
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Maxie believes that when the pandemic began, months of isolation resulting from quarantine pushed her son to a dark place. He also believes that the murder of George Floyd, which occurred two days before Jamal’s suicide, caused psychological trauma. “And social media itself has an impact,” Maxie says. “It can almost take away your entire self-esteem and tear it to pieces.”

In recent years, social media has develop into a dominant force amongst young people ages 13 to 17, who divide their time between Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok, based on data from the Pew Research Center. The latter is currently the most often used application by teenagers – they spend a mean of 105 minutes on it a day. Research conducted in 2018 showed that 95 percent teenagers had access to a smartphone, and 45 percent admitted that they’re online almost continuously. Research has shown the negative impact of viewing racially-related traumatic events online on the mental health of teenagers of color. Social media has also been found to be particularly harmful to young people who find themselves vulnerable to or suffer from mental disorders. Maxie believes this had a negative impact on her son. Because of this, “I don’t think he would be able to say, ‘It’s OK. Everything will be alright. “Life will be okay,” Maxie says.

Ongoing crisis

Dr. Kamala Uzzell, a psychotherapist based in Durham, North Carolina, began her practice in 2009 with the goal of normalizing counseling for people of color. “If patients see a therapist who looks like them, they may think,” Uzzell says. “Even before I opened my practice, I heard a standard belief that African Americans didn’t go to therapy. We go to church and pray about it. Or we deny it and say, “It’s not really happening.”

Maya Williams, a 26-year-old nonbinary person from Portland, Maine, grew up coping with the consequences of this denial. “My family was talking about mental health and the conversation turned to ‘growing pains’ or ‘God is not providing you with greater than you’ll be able to handle’ or ‘Are you sure you are praying hard enough?’ says. “Prayer has been helping Black people for years, but at the same time it’s like telling us, ‘Talk to God about it so that you haven’t got to consult with me about it.’ I didn’t feel comfortable talking to my parents and unpacking it until I used to be older.”

Maya saw a college counselor for a yr in eighth grade – around the same time she expressed suicidal thoughts to her mother and two years before her suicide attempt at age 15. Her family didn’t know that she had attempted to take her own life until she was 19 and published an essay about her experiences.

According to the American Psychological Association, African-American teenagers outperform their white and Latino counterparts in suicide attempts. Additionally, between 2001 and 2017, suicide rates amongst African-American adolescent girls increased by 182 percent. Some organizations, reminiscent of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in California, point to untreated mental health conditions as one possible reason for the increase. At the age of 5, the yr her parents divorced, Maya began showing signs of dermatillomania, a repeated urge to choose at her skin – sometimes related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, she wasn’t diagnosed with the condition until she was 19, at the same time she was diagnosed with anxiety. And she began taking medications to treat any of her diagnoses until July 2020. “I’ve struggled with mental health issues for a really long time, but now I have to work through new fears,” she says. “So I wanted to try medication to feel the way I want.”

Kids Are Not Okay: Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Affecting Our Youth
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A parent’s nightmare

Although rates of mental illness in African Americans are just like rates in the general population, based on the American Psychiatric Association, just one in three Blacks who need mental health care receive it.

“There are a lot of different resources that didn’t exist three or four years ago,” says Dr. Tia Dole, executive director of the Steve Fund, a corporation that supports the mental health of young people of color. “It takes some persistence, and too often parents wait until their child has an actual crisis. You may notice their withdrawal over the course of months, after which suddenly you see self-harm. The sooner you get in, the faster they’ll improve.

For parents of youngsters over 18, securing treatment for them generally is a Herculean task. This was the case of Atlanta resident Bridget Gipson, whose son, Steven A. Gipson, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in 2015. Even before his diagnosis, he began to exhibit manic behavior, which is why his mother sought skilled help. But considering Steven was an adult, she needed his cooperation. In September 2014, he left Atlanta and stopped contacting her. She filed a missing individuals report; he was found just a few days later in Miami Beach and brought to a close-by hospital.

“The doctor told me, ‘Your son is here and we’re going to let him go,'” he says. “I begged the hospital to put him in a center where he could receive additional help. They wouldn’t do that. But when Gipson went to Florida to pick up Steven, the hospital wouldn’t release him. “I was devastated,” she says. “They released him back onto the streets of Miami. He went missing again for nearly three months.

In December, Steven returned to Atlanta together with his mother. After being hospitalized, he began taking medication, attending therapy sessions and living in an apartment near Gipson’s home. She even managed to achieve custody of Steven in early 2015, but with restrictions. She couldn’t admit him to hospital unless he posed a danger to himself, and she or he couldn’t force him to take his medications, which he stopped taking in February 2015. A month later, on March 19, 2015, Steven committed suicide. He was 26 years old.

Changing the dialogue

People of color are increasingly discussing mental health and its challenges, but many parents still don’t understand why their child is struggling. “I see a lot of guilt among parents of color,” Dole says. “They think, .”

However, he notes that oldsters have to do away with this sort of pondering. “The underlying causes of mental illness in children and young adults can be the result of a myriad of factors, from environmental to genetic,” he notes. And because each child is exclusive and has a distinct set of circumstances, the signs that they could be struggling present in another way. The neatest thing parents can do is talk, listen, pay close attention and be open to learning.

“Because the therapy wasn’t as accessible and acceptable in Africa
There are many parents and grandparents in the American community who do not believe in their pain,” Uzzell says. “One in four people will experience some type of mental health problem. Maybe it’s not a long-term condition, maybe it’s short-term, but one in four people will experience it. This means that experiencing mental and emotional suffering is normal and we need to start talking about it normally with someone.”

  • Steve’s Fund created a special keyword, STEVE, that young POC can text to 741741 to be connected to a trained crisis counselor.
  • Souls of Chicago survivorsfounded by Rafiah Maxie, donates the shoes of deceased family members to organizations and other people in need and hosts educational workshops on the importance of mental health assessments.

Chloe Castleberry is a author and editor based in New York. Her works have appeared in , and .

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

This Fruit-Based Ingredient Provides Anti-Aging Benefits – Essence

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Despite the misfortunes of agingand the issue behind the term, ingredients used to decelerate our skin clock remain at the highest of our beauty game. The latest to hit the buzzwords — from retinol to tretinoin — is a compound called the “youth molecule,” present in a few of our favourite foods. (Hint: It’s also in red wine and chocolate.)

“Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant found in the skin of grapes, berries, and some nuts,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Nicole Ruth tells ESSENCE. With the hashtag #resveratrol at 42.8 posts on TikTok and a slew of products available on the market, “it’s gained popularity in the skincare world for its anti-aging properties.”

Below, Ruth discusses the choice to retinol, its advantages, and what to avoid.

What is resveratrol?

Most commonly present in the skin of grapes, berries, and nuts, resveratrol can also be a component of (deliciously) addictive foods like red wine and dark chocolate. However, you would need to eat extremely large amounts (150 mg per day) to reap the advantages, as only a trace amount may be absorbed through the intestines.

While drinking lots of of glasses wine will not be beneficialusing local advantages as an alternative of an old bottle of Cabernet may be more invaluable. “It polyphenol works by neutralizing free radicals, unstable molecules that damage skin cells and speed up aging,” Ruth says, which is what supplements or topical products can do.

What are the advantages of resveratrol?

“By protecting the skin from oxidative stress, resveratrol helps prevent fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging,” she says. “It also has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can soothe irritated skin and support overall skin health.” Fulfilling all the factors for a top anti-aging product, resveratrol can even help extend the lifespan of skin cells and maintain homeostasis.

How is resveratrol different from other anti-aging ingredients?

With all of the anti-aging products available on the market, it will possibly be hard to feel drained and never give you the chance to make use of them. “What sets resveratrol apart from other anti-aging ingredients like retinol is its gentleness,” she says, making it a very good alternative for sensitive skin and those that are intolerant to retinol. “While retinol stimulates cell turnover and collagen production, which can sometimes cause irritation, dryness, and redness, resveratrol works by protecting the skin from external aggressors like UV rays and pollutants.”

Popularized by Harvard professor David Sinclair“Resveratrol gained popularity after scientific studies showed its potential benefits for longevity and skin health,” she says. “Originally studied for its role in heart health, it was soon recognized for its skin benefits thanks to its strong antioxidant profile.”

A key ingredient in a variety of high-end skincare lines, including Caudalie and Le Demaine, the food-derived compound is touted for its “natural origins” and multifaceted advantages. “A lot of patients ask me about a natural alternative to prescription drugs, and it’s safe to say this could be a natural alternative to a retinoid.”

How does resveratrol work in skincare?

“In skincare, resveratrol is best used in combination with other antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, which can enhance its protective effects against environmental damage,” says Ruth. “It also works well with moisturisers, such as hyaluronic acid, to provide hydration while protecting the skin.”

For optimal results, she recommends in search of serums or creams with a stable type of resveratrol and applying them after cleansing and toning, but before applying a heavier moisturizer.

What do you have to avoid when using this ingredient?

As with any latest skincare product, knowing easy methods to use it and what to avoid is usually a tremendous line between top shelf and closet. “When introducing resveratrol, it’s important to start slowly to see how your skin reacts, especially if you’re using it in combination with other active ingredients,” she says. “I tell patients to avoid using it the same night with other harsh exfoliants or acids like glycolic acid to avoid irritation.”

“While it’s generally safe for all skin types, those with particularly sensitive skin should monitor for any signs of irritation,” she warns. However, “resveratrol is generally well-tolerated and can be used both morning and night, although frequency will depend on the concentration of the product.”

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Kamala Harris Takes Spotlight with Oprah at Star-Studded Unite For America Campaign Event in Battleground Michigan – Essence

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U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (left) joins American television producer Oprah Winfrey at a live-streamed “Unite for America” ​​rally in Farmington Hills, Michigan, September 19, 2024. (Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Oprah Winfrey, the queen of daytime television who has united Americans in front of her screens for many years, once more united the nation at a Unite for America event to learn Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. “This people power movement behind Kamala Harris has unleashed a unifying force unlike anything we’ve seen in politics in a very long time,” Winfrey said.

The star-studded event, held in the important thing swing state of Michigan, with 400 people in attendance and nearly 300,000 viewers virtually, aimed to construct on the momentum of the primary Win With Black Women charity phone event, which drew an astonishing number of individuals $1.6 million inside hours of the July announcement that Harris would replace President Joe Biden because the Democratic presidential nominee.

Kamala Harris takes center stage with Oprah at star-studded Unite For America campaign event in battleground state Michigan
TOP PHOTO – US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris joins US television producer Oprah Winfrey at a live-streamed “Unite for America” ​​rally in Farmington Hills, Michigan, September 19, 2024. (Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP) (Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Her success led to fundraising conversations with dozens of other groups, including Win With Black Men, White Dudes for Harris and Cat Ladies for Kamala, breaking fundraising records along the best way. Unite for America was inspired by a conversation between Oprah and Win With Black Women founder Jotaka Eaddy. Reflecting on the pivotal role black women have played in bringing the country thus far, Eaddy said, “I just think it’s an honor for all of us to be able to usher in this moment, knowing that those who watered this mighty field are now allowing us to eat the fruit.”

While latest Pew poll shows that Black women overwhelmingly support Harris (87%), with support amongst Black men barely weaker. Eighty percent plan to vote for Vice President Harris, while 17% say they are going to vote for Trump. Oprah said she has heard from several Black men who’re voting for Trump due to stimulus checks they received in the course of the pandemic.

Khalil Thompson, founding father of Win With Black Men, explained the matter: “Congress paid for the check…45 people signed it.” While he acknowledged that individuals must make their very own decisions, his selection was clear: “I don’t want someone with 34 convictions. I don’t want someone who will choose hate over choosing the best way to unite us as a country. That’s why I think Vice President Harris is the best person.”

Voters across the country expressed concerns about several issues, including abortion, immigration, the economy and gun violence. Unite for America kept those issues at the forefront, resulting in some very emotional moments in the course of the event.

In the context of abortion rights, a moving story of a 28-12 months-old woman has emerged Amber Nicole Thurman from Georgia, who was a single mother of a six-12 months-old son and wanted an abortion when she discovered she was pregnant with one other child. Because abortion is against the law in Georgia, she traveled to North Carolina, where she was given abortion drugs. After Thurman returned to Georgia, she became very unwell and located that she had not completely expelled the fetus and needed what known as a dilation and curettage (D&C).

Kamala Harris takes center stage with Oprah at star-studded Unite For America campaign event in battleground state Michigan
TOP PHOTO – US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris joins US television producer Oprah Winfrey at a live-streamed “Unite for America” ​​rally in Farmington Hills, Michigan, September 19, 2024. (Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP) (Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Doctors waited 20 hours to perform the procedure on her due to state’s strict abortion ban, and he or she died. Thurman’s mother, who only recently learned from Propublica Informing that her death might have been prevented, she said, “Amber was not a statistic, she was loved by her family, a strong family, and we would do anything to make sure my child, our child, got the help that she needed.” In a deeply moving moment that brought many in the audience to tears, Thurman’s mother continued, “You look at a mother who is broken. The worst pain that a mother, a parent, could ever feel, her father, me and her family, you’re looking at that.”

Vice President Harris reiterated her support for abortion rights, calling it “health care,” and said that on the subject of a lady’s right to come to a decision what happens to her body, “you don’t have to abandon your faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government shouldn’t tell you what to do.”

In one other moving moment, the audience witnessed the human toll that gun violence has on our nation’s children. Oprah shared that 383,000 children have been exposed to gun violence and introduced one in all those children, Natalie Griffith, and her parents, Doug and Marilda. Natalie, still bandaged from the gunshot wounds she suffered in the Apalachee High School shooting earlier this month, sat next to her mother, Marilda, who shared the pain she felt when she learned her daughter’s school had been the positioning of one other school shooting, while she had no idea whether her daughter was alive or not. “You don’t know what it’s like until you experience it.” In a tearful plea, Marilda called for immediate motion to stop gun violence. “We can’t let this continue,” she said.

Vice President Harris, who was a staunch gun control advocate and co-sponsored a bill banning assault weapons as a California senator, said, “I’ve seen the autopsies. I’ve seen what these weapons do to the human body, and we have to agree that assault weapons in particular… have no place on the streets of civil society. They’re designed to kill a lot of people quickly.” She also reiterated her support for the Second Amendment and made clear that as a gun owner, she’s not attempting to take guns away from everyone.

On the economy, one area where Trump continues to outperform Vice President Harris in the polls, Harris has promised to create an “opportunity economy” where persons are helped to attain their financial goals. For example, she desires to combat price gouging, give first-time homebuyers $25,000 in down payment assistance, give small-business owners a $50,000 tax deduction (up from $5,000 available now) to assist them grow their businesses, and expand the kid tax credit to $6,000 in a baby’s first 12 months.

Immigration is one other area where Trump is leading in the polls — despite his raising of the Haitian rumor that Haitian migrants are stealing and eating pets. Vice President Harris noted that bipartisan border bill that laws she supported would have provided more border patrol agents, asylum officers and immigration judges, and would have stopped the flow of fentanyl across the border, nevertheless it never passed because Donald Trump encouraged Republican lawmakers to not vote for it. Harris said that was because “he would rather run with the problem than solve it,” but that if elected president, she would sign the bill into law.

But ultimately, Harris portrayed the stakes of this election as much larger than her or anybody particular position. It’s about “fundamental freedoms,” she continued. There’s a lot at stake in this election, and ultimately the query before us is, what sort of country do we would like to live in? And the fantastic thing about democracy — so long as we are able to stick with it — the fantastic thing about democracy is that every one in all us has the facility to reply that query.”

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Off-White™ and The New York Liberty Combine Fashion and Sport in Groundbreaking Collaboration – Essence

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Women’s sports are having a moment, and the most recent news confirms it: Off-White™ has been named the official curator of fashion and culture for the New York Liberty, a groundbreaking partnership between high fashion and women’s basketball.

As Liberty dominates the WNBA and seeks their first championship, this partnership couldn’t have come at a greater time. Given Off-White’s fame for setting trends and Liberty’s electrifying presence in the world of sports, this partnership is about greater than just basketball—it’s about culture, representation, and the long run of ladies in sports.

The multi-yr agreement, Off-White’s first collaboration with a U.S. sports team, will kick off with the revealing of a custom varsity jacket prior to Liberty’s playoff opener. Designed with the fierce harmony and unique brand aesthetic in mind, the jacket is the right mix of fashion and athleticism. But this partnership extends far beyond the court. Over the following few seasons, we will expect Off-White™ to release exclusive fashion capsules, host community-focused events and work with Liberty players to focus on key cultural moments like Women’s History Month, Black History Month and Pride.

Off-White™ and New York Liberty combine fashion and sport in groundbreaking collaboration
September 19, 2024; New York Liberty receives “Off-White” jackets as a present (Photo: Brandon Todd/New York Liberty)

This partnership is greater than only a win for Liberty and Off-White™—it’s an enormous step forward for girls’s basketball and women’s sports as an entire. The WNBA is having fun with a season of unprecedented growth, with viewership surging, arenas filling up and a roster of players becoming cultural icons in their very own right. From their glamorous pregame looks to their off-the-court activism, the WNBA’s players are redefining what it means to be an athlete. And the New York Liberty are on the forefront of this movement. Known for his or her fierce competition and ability to push boundaries, the Liberty turn heads each on and off the court.

“WNBA players are being embraced as style icons like never before, while also driving culture in ways never before imagined,” said New York Liberty General Manager Keia Clarke. It’s true—today’s WNBA stars are usually not only excelling in the sport, they’re also pushing boundaries in relation to fashion and culture. With this partnership, Off-White will help them proceed to thrive, pushing the boundaries of what athletes can do and the spaces they will occupy.

Off-White™ and New York Liberty combine fashion and sport in groundbreaking collaboration

Off-White™ CEO Cristiano Fagnani expressed his excitement concerning the partnership, saying, “Sports is evolving and women are making history by owning it. We are thrilled to partner with this inspiring team and together create a space that doesn’t exist by pushing boundaries to create the future. For everyone.” His words echo the feelings felt across the sports and fashion communities—a partnership built on shared values ​​of empowerment, innovation, and disruption.

The timing of this partnership is especially significant. Both brands are at pivotal moments—Off-White™ is fresh off its New York Fashion Week debut and Liberty is gunning for its first WNBA title. Their collaboration heralds a brand new era where fashion, sports, and culture seamlessly intertwine, especially for Black female athletes who proceed to interrupt barriers and define their very own space in the world of sports.

Off-White™ and New York Liberty combine fashion and sport in groundbreaking collaboration

As Liberty’s fan base grows and Off-White’s boundary-breaking designs proceed to push the boundaries, the probabilities for this collaboration are countless. It’s not only concerning the clothes, it’s about creating experiences that talk to the facility of representation. For Black women, this collaboration is one other reminder of how far we’ve come in the world of sports—and how far we will go when fashion, culture, and athletics intersect.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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