Please be advised, this video contains sensitive recounts of suicide attempts.
Myra Smith, Deborah Harris and April Jett met for the first time when I brought them together in the Neon District of Norfolk earlier this week, but they share a common bond: each woman has attempted or seriously considered suicide.
“I had said to myself I would rather sleep forever than to deal with whatever I was facing alone another day,” said Myra Smith, a wife, mother and singer who survived three suicide attempts while experiencing depression. “We fight and do for others, but we lack doing for ourselves.”
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“God allowed me to live, when I should have been dead,” said Deborah Harris, a wife and mother who also survived three suicide attempts while navigating undiagnosed mental illness. “It wasn’t until after I was introduced to the specialists, the therapists, the counselors, and the psychiatrists who helped me to heal from within.”
“I had surrendered to the idea that this is my path out of here,” said April Jett, a wife and mother who seriously considered suicide when she was in college after years of verbal abuse about her weight. “That was the day I made up my mind that from this day forward, I’m going to figure out how to heal.”
These three Black Hampton Roads women are survivors of a disturbing trend highlighted in the American Journal of Psychiatry. While suicide is among the leading causes of death in the United States, a study reveals increases in suicide in the United States since 1999 “have disproportionately affected Black young women.” Specifically, researchers found suicide rates “among Black females aged 15 to 84 increased 2.1 per 100,000 in 1999 to 3.4 per 100,000 in 2020.” The study also revealed increases were largest “among those aged 15-24, increasing from 1.9 to 4.9 per 100,000.”
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According to the study, “racism and discrimination, adverse childhood experiences, poverty, lack of educational opportunities, food insecurity, housing instability, and barriers to mental and medical health care” contribute to the increases risk. The report also said “sexism and racism combine to create intersectionality, in which an individual may experience multiple marginalized identities that interact to increase risk factors for suicide and suicidal behaviors.”
I also asked Hampton-based psychologist Dr. Kristie Norwood why Black women disproportionately affected by suicide and suicidal ideations.
“There's health disparities,” said Dr. Norwood. “We [also] know that that stigma still exists related to mental health care.”
“Research supports this idea of ‘Superwoman Syndrome’ that exists for many black women,” she continued. “ “Not being able to appear weak by seeking help.”
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“We're strong. We're business owners. We're mothers. We're wives. We are bosses, and then we cry in the shower,” said Smith. “As Black women, we are groomed to lie. We're told ‘Don't you speak that thing out loud. Don't tell nobody you're depressed. Don't you give any weight to it’. So, we’re definitely not going to get [any] help, [instead] we're going to pray about it. But we're not going to speak it out of our mouths so we don't believe it will exist. But that doesn't mean that it's gone.”
Smith said faith, therapy and support from medication have played a major role in managing her mental health. She has also created “Breaking The Silence Advocacy Global Inc.,” an organization that, in part, provides support to people suffering from a mental health crisis.
“You’re beautiful. You’re loved,” said Smith as a way to encourage others. “Literally, [take it] one day at a time.”
Harris also said faith, therapy, and medication for a time, have supported her mental wellness. She created your “Your Wellness, Inc.,” a faith-based suicide prevention and mental health resource organization.
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“I know God can do anything but fail, but He also works through other people,” said Harris. “[There’s] hope, and I believe in spreading hope!”
Jett said therapy and community support have supported her mental health, too. She created “The Behind the Mask Healing Center”.
“Your life is meaningful and purposeful,” said Jett. “You are worth the time, the energy, and the effort. Ask for help.”
If you are or someone you know is in a mental health crisis, please call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
It’s a national network that connects people to local crisis centers that provide free and confidential support. They are available to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can learn more at 988lifeline.org.
I’ve also compiled an expanded list of ways to seek mental health support and treatment.
Therapy for Black Girls
As shared on therapyforblackgirls.com, Therapy for Black Girls is “an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls.” The site also provides a link to find a therapist sensitive to the needs of Black women and girls near you.
Psychology Today
Psychology Today is “the world’s largest mental health and behavioral science” resource online. With the motto “Here to Help,” it provides a searchable directory of hundreds of thousands of mental health professionals that users can filter by location, race, insurance and areas of expertise.
HOPES Free Clinic
The HOPES Free Clinic, a division of the Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, is the “only free clinic in Norfolk and the first student-run free clinic in Virginia.” According to the Hopes Free Clinic website, it has served more than 1,000 uninsured adults, with focuses on mental health, primary care, gynecology, orthopedics, and more. The clinic’s hours are Thursday evenings from 6pm until 9:30pm, and specialty care is offered on select Wednesday evenings. To join the patient waitlist, call 757.446.0366.
Findtreatment.gov
Findtreatment.gov is a confidential and anonymous resource for locating treatment facilities for mental and substance use disorders in the United States and its territories. Visit https://findtreatment.gov/locator to locate treatment options near you.
National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline
The NAMI HelpLine is a free, nationwide peer-supported service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health condition. You can text “HelpLine” to 62640 or call 800-950-6264. Learn more about additional resources at www.nami.org/help.
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective
The Open Path Psychotherapy Collective is a nationwide network of mental health professionals who offer virtual and in-office sessions at a steeply reduced rate to people who qualify. You can learn more at www.openpathcollective.org.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project also provides confidential support for LGBTQ youth in crisis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-866-488-7386. There’s also a 24/7 confidential online instant messaging with a Trevor counselor.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also provides a list of resources for the LGBTQ+ community. There are also support groups for suicide survivors in our area, and ways to find a therapist near you.
