grown-ish: Only Human
When I learned black-ish was going to do a college spinoff title grown-ish I was stoked. Not just because I enjoyed watching black-ish but more so because of what it represented. It would give my son a similar experience as me growing up. I used to watch The Cosby Show and A Different World, both shows helped shape how I would view the world and my role in it. So when grown-ish decided to open up with a dialogue of mental health I tuned in. I was excited because they were going to approach the topic from a fresh perspective, a 21st century perspective. It was one I wanted to see and more so, I needed to see.
Things that stood out to me
Headphone party 🧐🙃😆
“Sad Boy” Wave 😳🤯
“Doing it for the flex” 🤔
Sweat it out! / Ride it out 🥺
Create environment for open dialogue 👏
Kid Kudi “Pursuit of Happiness”
Lack of immediate access to help: “Two week wait” ✋
Diversity amongst collegiate counselors🚫 👩🏽🧑🏼👨🏾👨🏽🦳👩🏿🦲👨🏻🦲🧔🏻🧓🏾👨🏼🦱👩🏾🦰
These were all points that stood out to me. First things first, I didn’t know throwing a headphone party was a “real thing.” I felt totally out of it seeing that, even though it’s a creative idea.
The idea that the writers of this sitcom felt it important enough to center an episode on the topic of mental illness on college campuses, within the collegiate community, & shine a light on lack of resources lead me to believe the time to discuss mental health is now. It’s more important than ever. We need to listen to what is being said.
Next though, the concept of a “sad-boy wave” and “doing it for the flex”. I never knew about this. That claiming depression has perks. I’ve heard people say things like “he/she is saying/doing for attention” but I’m still not sure why one would “flex” with depression. Outside of said attention, what are the benefits? This saddens me because those that are struggling might not be taken seriously. Given the delicacy of the topic I believe it would be better to treat each person seriously because we don’t want to be mistaken, if they were NOT “doing it for the flex.”
The thought that “sweat it out” and “ride it out” are still coping mechanisms being used to combat mental illness. Just as we don’t typically ride out the flu, I hate that we deal with mental illnesses so differently. We go to the doctor, even a clinic, we grab orange juice, and over the counter meds, but when drowning in the ocean of depression, we choose to ride it out, daring ourselves not to drown. We don’t call for help or even put on a life preserver. We wade in the depression while taking the water weight of our negative thoughts. And maybe we don’t drown, this time, but our continuing to take on unnecessary water is not healthy either.
I’m not shocked at the lack of access to counselors, let alone diversity, but I am wondering if there are other informal ways to help those that are struggling? I think giving people the ability to have an open dialogue goes a long way. How could that be implemented on college campuses, if it hasn’t already? Maybe considering peer groups or online discussions. Giving students the opportunity to express their feelings and receive a listening ear. Many times people just need a resource.
As someone that has struggled, I appreciate grown-ish shining a lot on what is a difficult topic. I’m grateful for learning about “sad-boy wave,” something I was not aware of before watching this episode. For those that watched this episode and found they could relate. Please don’t hesitate to checkout our Resources page, we have some options listed, these organizations want to help you.
Looking forward to season 3!
#thoughtlifeco
