This week on #SPSM Chat co-hosts Rudy Caseres (@RudyCaseres), Danielle Glick (@DanielleGlick), and Joelle Marie (@LazTheLazTheLaz) discuss the topic “r/BlackMentalHealth (s/UicidePrevention)” with guest Ashley Jaye (@ashleyjayeaye).
Watch as we discuss issues such as:
What are some of the realities facing Black people who experience mental distress?
How might Borderline Personality Disorder present differently in Black people than other populations?
How can the taboo of suicide be addressed in Black communities?
How can online communities like Reddit help change the conversation around Black mental health?
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Ashley Jaye is a solo performer, mental health advocate, and sloth lover diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Depression. She has created 3 self-written solo performances called A Spike Lee Joint, Dee Pearson is (More Than) a Bully, and Who Wants to be Neurotypical? (F.K.A. Channel BPD) respectively. Her solo performances hilariously and honestly highlight the complex racial, sexual, societal, and cultural intersections of mental illness for Black Women, topics she never imagined herself speaking about. Jaye has performed for the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in Marin, at The Marsh theaters in Berkeley and San Francisco, and at the Stage Werx Theater in San Francisco. In February 2020, she created a subreddit called r/BlackMentalHealth: a Reddit community for Black people seeking support and resources pertaining to their mental health. r/BlackMentalHealth has over 190 members and is growing! She hopes that her solo performances and mental health advocacy bring awareness and understanding to the debilitating illness of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and that Black people who suffer from a mental illness will feel less alone in the struggle.
Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @ashleyjayeaye, watch her solo performances on YouTube under “Ashley Jaye”, or join the subreddit r/BlackMentalHealth on Reddit.
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SPSM Chat is co-hosted by Rudy Caseres, Joelle Marie, Marie Shanley, Danielle Glick, and Hudson Harris. We stream live (as well as host a Twitter chat) every Sunday evening at 6pm PT/9pm ET. Each week we have a new expert guest to discuss the most important issues in the world of suicide prevention. All past episodes can be viewed on our YouTube channel and at SPSMchat.com. We are also on Facebook, Twitter/Periscope, and Mixer.
***Content warning: SPSM Chat includes content about suicide and other experiences that may be traumatizing to you. You may experience strong or overwhelming emotions as a result. If you find yourself in distress or crisis, we encourage you to seek out support that works for you. Many people find it helpful to talk to a friend, family member, or someone else they trust.
If you would like formal crisis support, you can call National Suicide Prevention Lifelineat 800-273-8255, Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada), or The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. If you don’t like talking on the phone, you can text HOME to 741741 to get to Crisis Text Line, or you can try Lifeline Crisis Chat.
If you’d like to talk to a peer, warmline.org contains links to warmlines in the United States. If you’re not in the U.S., you can go to iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres for a connection to crisis centers around the world.
Many of these resources could utilize restrictive interventions, like active rescues (wellness or welfare checks) involving law enforcement or emergency services. A warmline is least likely to do this, but still might have these policies. You can ask if this is a possibility at any point in your conversation if this is a concern for you.
The following do not implement any restrictive interventions for people considering suicide:
Peerly Human online support groups: peerlyhuman.blogspot.com
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada)
Suicide Prevention Social Media #SPSM 