Silent Struggle: Suicide Survivor Breaks Stigma Around Mental Health, Black Men | Huntsville

Many talk of depression and loneliness during the holiday season, but experts say spring is when self-harm peaks.

Suicide and suicidal ideation are difficult for some to talk about and getting help is highly stigmatized in many communities. That’s why mental health experts say men of color are especially reluctant to get help.

The quality of mental health care and treatment has increasingly improved over the years, but for men, especially black men, the fear of being seen as weak or broken is greater than ever.

It doesn’t have to be this way, experts say.

Eric Walker said he wanted to get rid of the stigma.

“I couldn’t escape the heaviness that I felt. That’s when I came to a dark place and attempted suicide,” said Walker, a mental health advocate living in the Valley of Tennessee and who works with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

For him, it was like hell on Earth. The nightmare Walker found himself trapped in, thinking and believing there was no way out.

“I didn’t realize how much people would have missed me if I was gone. It makes me emotional just talking about it,” Walker said.

More than 20 years later, he remembers exactly where his head was at that time.

“I equate it to being like Iron Man. You have the iron suit. You look heroic and people never know what you’re dealing with,” Walker said.

He fought in silence. As a black man, seeking help and going to therapy was not the norm.

“In life, asking for help or even mentioning that I was feeling sad or even wanting to cry or showing some sort of emotion was just not something we did in our culture and as a person. ‘men,” Walker said.

Psychotherapist Choya Wise said Walker’s experience was a reflection of many experiences.

“The simple fact that most suicides occur by men or most suicides occur when men commit suicide is a reflection of the existence of a problem,” Wise said.

According to Johns Hopkins University, suicide rates increase in the spring.

“When I look back at when I was the worst, it was actually in the spring. When I made my attempt. Spring. It wasn’t winter,” Walker said.

In April, May and June, researchers said suicide rates can be two to three times higher than in December, when rates are actually lowest.

“Apparently at the moment there is no clear reason why this is happening,” Wise said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 50,000 people died by suicide last year. The suicide rate for men, regardless of race, is four times higher than for women.

Having the conversation is uncomfortable for many, but it doesn’t have to be.

Meesha Emmett of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention said context is key.

“We don’t say suicide, because that implies judgment, you know,” Emmett said.

The nonprofit just launched a new suicide prevention program called “LETS” – “Listening, Empathy, Trust and Support” for the Black community.

“Understanding that different cultures have different needs and different obstacles to overcome,” Emmett said.

Walker wishes this initiative existed during his struggle. He wants others to see him as living proof that there is a way out and a reason to live another day.

“People love you and they will miss you. So definitely get the help you need,” Walker said.