Vital voices: How race can impact care, through the eyes of a bipolar disorder patient
“At some points, I felt like I was set up to be reactive, instead of being treated like a human being.” -Trae, bipolar disorder patient
Transcript
It took so many different hospitalizations for me to figure out what was wrong with me. I was diagnosed with so many other things
before they came with bipolar disorder. [MUSIC PLAYING]
It was just a difficult journey. As a person of color, when I talk
to my community about my mental health issues, I was approached with, you should go to church.
You should seek religious help. I did that for a while. When I went to the mental health side of things,
I felt like it took so long for them to find out what was wrong with me.
It took years. In some points, I felt like I was set up to be reactive instead of being treated like a human being.
It's very hard to be a person of color and be diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
I think that instead of being seen as having mental health issues, I think they see it as being
a product of our environment. Being a Black man in a mental health facility,
I did feel a certain stigma. I remember being treated in certain ways by certain staff members. I try not to view world as being a Black man,
but I have no choice. It's presenting to me in my face like all the time.
bipolar disorder
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