This year for Black History Month, have been highlighting different mental illnesses each week and two prominent members in the Black community who have spoken out about their experiences with them. We aim to highlight that even though someone has a mental illness, they can still be successful.
Michael Jackson, aka the King of Pop, was an American singer, dancer, entertainer, and recording artist. His music career began in 1964 at only six years old, as part of the Jackson 5 – led by their father. Motown records signed the group, producing hit singles including: “I Want You Back,” and “ABC.” Jackson’s father pushed his music career so far that he was often physically abusive. Jackson wrote in Moonwalk, his 1988 autobiography, “We’d perform for him, and he’d critique us,” “If you messed up, you got hit, sometimes with a belt, sometimes with a switch.”
In the late 1970s, Jackson started his solo career and his claim to fame wasn’t long after. His second solo album, Thriller, had 110 million global sales and 29 million sales in the U.S. Jackson became the most famous pop singer in the world.
Despite Jackson’s worldwide success, he was thought to have Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). In the late 1980s, it became seemingly noticeable that Jackson had several cosmetic procedures that changed his facial structure, especially his nose. In a 1993 interview with Oprah, Jackson revealed his vitiligo – a skin disorder that causes the skin to lose its color. Skeptics were led to believe that he was using bleaching treatment to intentionally look white.
African Americans are less likely to seek treatment than white Americans because historically, they have received poor care by health professionals. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of Minority Health, Black adults are more likely than white adults to experience persistent symptoms of emotional distress, such as sadness, hopelessness, and feeling that they have to dedicate extra effort to everything they do. Similar to Jackson’s case, his own insecurities led to many surgical procedures in an attempt to match societal standards.
In Jackson’s final stages of life, he was in preparation for the This Is It tour to show the public that he still had what it takes as an entertainer. Unfortunately, his behavior started to portray signs of “paranoia, anxiety and obsessive-disorder-like behavior,” found in a series of emails written by director Kenny Ortega. Right up until his death, Jackson had an upbeat mentality and a strong enthusiasm during his final rehearsals, though appearing emotionally frail and physically thin. Jackson died at age 50 from cardiac arrest caused by an overdose of propofol – a sleeping pill.
Michael Jackson isn’t the only iconic Black singer that that faced challenges with mental illness. So has American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer, Mariah Carey.
Carey’s parents divorced at three years old. At age four, her mother, a voice coach, noticed her talent for operatic singing and gave her singing lessons. At age 18, she was signed by Colombia Records, after hearing her demo tape. Her first album included four No. 1 singles including: “Vision of Love,” “Love Takes Time,” “Some Day,” and “I Don’t Wanna Cry.“
In 2001, Carey was admitted to the hospital and put under psychiatric care after what her publicists called a “physical and emotional collapse.” At this point in time, she was diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder.
Years later in 2018, she told People she refused to acknowledge her diagnoses. “Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me,” she said. “It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore.”
The stigma associated with mental illness is backed by the cultural belief in the Black community that only people who are “crazy” or “weak” see mental health professionals. Erica Richards, chair and medical director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Sibley Memorial Hospital, says, “Anyone can experience mental illness. There is no group, gender, sexual identity, race or cultural belief that can prevent it from occurring.”
Carey turned her life around and reached out for help with therapy and medications. She is in a good place mentally and hopes one day that the stigma with mental health issues is eradicated. “I’m hopeful we can get to a place where the stigma is lifted from people going through anything alone. It can be incredibly isolating. It does not have to define you and I refuse to allow it to define me or control me.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health disorder in which you can’t stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance — a flaw that appears minor or can’t be seen by others.
Signs and symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder include:
• Being extremely preoccupied with a perceived flaw in appearance that to others can’t be seen or appears minor
• Strong belief that you have a defect in your appearance that makes you ugly or deformed
• Belief that others take special notice of your appearance in a negative way or mock you
• Engaging in behaviors aimed at fixing or hiding the perceived flaw that are difficult to resist or control, such as frequently checking the mirror, grooming or skin picking
• Attempting to hide perceived flaws with styling, makeup or clothes
• Constantly comparing your appearance with others
• Frequently seeking reassurance about your appearance from others
• Having perfectionist tendencies
• Seeking cosmetic procedures with little satisfaction
• Avoiding social situations
According to the Mayo Clinic, bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
People with bipolar disorder experience periods of unusually intense emotion, changes in sleep patterns and activity levels, and uncharacteristic behaviors—often without recognizing their likely harmful or undesirable effects.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
If you would like to speak to someone about better managing your stress and anxiety, or to make an appointment, please call (717) 782-6493 for more information.
Sources:
• https://www.biographyonline.net/music/michael-jackson.html
• https://ocdla.com/michael-jackson-bdd-1933
• https://www.biography.com/news/michael-jackson-childhood-peter-pan-syndrome
• https://www.umassmed.edu/vitiligo/blog/blog-posts1/2016/01/did-michael-jackson-have-vitiligo/
• https://www.everydayhealth.com/black-health/black-masculinity-and-mental-health/
• https://www.biography.com/news/michael-jackson-final-days
• https://www.biography.com/musician/mariah-carey
• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-among-african-american-women
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/body-dysmorphic-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353938
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955