Until recent years, throughout the African American community, there was a general consensus that therapy and mental health issues only concerned white Americans or people of affluence. Also, mental health treatment was not an option for most African Americans who were struggling financially. I believe that African Americans’ history of mistrust of doctors due to medical experimentation on blacks is also a reason for this belief that mental health issues were something others had to deal with.

In Kanye West’s new album, "Ye," he discloses that he’s bipolar and says it’s a superpower. Does this diagnosis explain his antics and what he should do with his fame

Coping with a chronic mental illness or mental health issue is a deeply personal endeavor. Yet the irony of effective treatment is one's ability to be open about this very personal struggle. Freud had a therapeutic concept called the "talking cure" which within the context psychology is a very specific type of psychotherapy. But I think if we generalize the theory and apply to our everyday lives it can also be helpful.

The cultural differences between African-Americans and other racial groups has created a chicken-egg phenomenon within the mental health community. Are the disparities between the racial groups due to institutionalized racism and the lack of resources for minority groups? Or are there disparities because Black people and other ethnic groups choose not to discuss their mental health problems and participate in treatment? I would argue that it is a bit of both.