America has had a love-hate relationship with superstar Kanye West over the years. From the loveable “College Dropout” from Chicago that produced hit after hit for who’s who of today’s artists over a decade to what media calls “Kanye rants” on fashion, his musical artistry and most recently politics, everyone has their opinion on Kanye.
But fans are now concerned Kanye West is under observation at a Los Angeles hospital following an abrupt cancellation of his concert tour on Monday.
The cancellation comes after a series of what people call “strange” behavior from the artist. Calling out Jay-Z and Beyonce’ at concerts and aking for Black people to to stop talking about racism. But is speaking passionately about a subject really all that “strange?”
A source close to West’s family told CNN that the rapper is being treated for “exhaustion” at UCLA Medical Center.
The decision to hospitalize West came after Los Angeles police responded to a
disturbance call, according to the source.
Many don’t know, but this is also the anniversary of Kanye West’s burial of his mother, Dr. Donda West. Dr. West taught at the collegiate level for over 24 years and died in November of 2007 of complications from a cosmetic procedure.
In many interviews, Kanye blamed himself for the death of his mother, his biggest supporter.
“If I had never moved to L.A. she’d be alive,” West told Q magazine in an interview. “I don’t want to go far into it because it will bring me to tears.”
Dr. West has been the inspiration behind several of his career highlights: multiple albums, singles like “Hey Mama” and “Only One,” his multidiscipline design and content company DONDA — the list goes on and on. However, the 58-year-old former chairwoman of Chicago State University’s English department died Nov. 10, 2007, the day after receiving multiple cosmetic surgeries and was buried just 10 days later on November 20th.
Despite her passing, West remains a major influence throughout her son’s recent endeavors, including the released third edition of his sold-out fashion line Yeezy Season 3 as well as his latest album, The Life of Pablo. As his biggest fan, she watched her son rise from being a wannabe music producer to one of the biggest names in the industry.
What people are saying about Kanye being exhausted or having been fatigued can be linked to depression.
Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome are two conditions that can make someone feel extremely tired, even after a good night’s rest. It’s possible to have both conditions at the same time. It’s also easy to mistake feelings of fatigue for depression and vice-versa.
Depression occurs when a person feels sad, anxious, or hopeless for an extended period of time. People who are depressed often have sleep problems that involve sleeping
too much or not sleeping at all.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition that causes a person to experience continuous feelings of fatigue that don’t have any other underlying causes. According to an article published in The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, doctors often misdiagnose chronic fatigue syndrome as depression.
West’s wife, Kim Kardashian West, was in New York Monday to attend a charity event where her late father was being honored, but she flew back to Los Angeles when she learned of her husband’s situation, the source said.
West’s concert promoter, Live Nation, announced earlier Monday that the remaining dates of his Saint Pablo Tour had been called off.
Whatever is ailing the talented, young performer, we wish him the best and a speedy recovery.
#GetWellSoonKanye
Sometimes all it takes is for one of us to say “we’re not ok and we need help” for the rest of us to step up and do the same. Kid Cudi’s recent Facebook post disclosing his suicidal tendencies and decision to enter into rehab gave many a second look at their own mental health status .
Most of us ask, “how are you doing?,” but how many of us are really good?
MUST READ: Black Boys, Suicide & Shame: What Can The Village Do?
The hashtag #YouGoodMan was created on Twitter by two friends, Dayna Lynn Nuckolls (@DaynaLNuckolls), artist and songwriter from Chicago, and @TheCosby, to address what’s really good with our Black men. Last Wednesday Dana Lynn suggested to her friend @TheCosby that they name the hashtag #YouOkBruh.
Can we start a new hashtag for Black men's mental health #YouOkBruh? I hope folks don't feel it's appropriated. @TheCosby
— Dayna Lynn Nuckolls (@DaynaLNuckolls) October 5, 2016
@TheCosby opted for #YouGoodMan and on October 5th the idea took off with a sea of posts and retweets.
We probably need something else #YouGoodMan https://t.co/eI29zOdHUN
— No Relation, Esq. (@TheCosby) October 5, 2016
#YouGoodMan is for Black Men to confess, ask for help, vent, or get pointed in the direction of mental health professionals. @TheCosby
— Dayna Lynn Nuckolls (@DaynaLNuckolls) October 5, 2016
Black men and their supporters have flooded the Twitter world with their honest posts supporting the #YouGoodMan movement.
I've dealt with depression and anxiety issues over the years and I never really talk about because I know how people react #yougoodman
— No Relation, Esq. (@TheCosby) October 5, 2016
I know how it is to not be able to talk to those you love. To get hit with a "man up" when you can't even get out of bed. #YouGoodMan
— No Relation, Esq. (@TheCosby) October 5, 2016
https://twitter.com/MsPackyetti/status/783657567436218369
https://twitter.com/_Uncensorable/status/783760701143810048
Black men feel anxiety. Black men feel depression. Black men feel sadness. Black men feel rage. Black men feel and that's ok. #YouGoodMan
— Mayor of Chuckalissa (@Scrappmusiq) October 5, 2016
BlackDoctor.org spoke with Dayna Lynn Nuckolls to learn the full story behind #YouGoodMan how do we continue asking #YouGoodMan from here.
BlackDoctor.org: What’s your personal connection to a Black male mental health?
Dayna Lynn: My personal connection to Black male mental health is two-fold. Primarily, I am a Black mother raising a Black boy who, God willing, will eventually become a Black man. He’s 4 years old. Daily, I fight back against the brand of masculinity that says that boys don’t cry or express any feelings other than anger or aggression or sarcasm. I’m responsible for helping shape his capacity for emotional resilience in the face of life’s inevitable challenges, especially those challenges tailored just for Black men. And it starts this early, empowering him to honor his emotions, name his feelings, and develop relationships with other men that are safe spaces for vulnerability. I’m countering the toxic masculinity that feeds and disguises depression by making sure he witnesses empowered men living emotionally intelligent lives.
Secondarily, I am Black woman who is a lover of Black men. My survival, safety, and wellbeing is often predicated upon the ability of the Black men in my life to mentally and emotionally cope in healthy ways. When I was pregnant, and even after my son was born, I watched my son’s father cycle in and out of depressive episodes that manifested in him punching walls, self medicating with weed and alcohol, isolating himself, and being completely emotionally unavailable. It was devastating for me.
More recently, I have been having conversations with a Black man very close to me. We’ve been discussing the trauma and abuse he experienced as a child and the effects that it has had on his life and relationships as an adult. He has never gotten professional help even though those experiences have negatively affected his ability to cope as an adult.
BlackDoctor.org: What prompted you to start the dialogue on Twitter that night? It seems based on the retweets and stuff you were posting around that time, something was bubbling inside of you.
Dayna Lynn: This has always been a subject near and dear to my heart. But as I mentioned before, I had just been having conversations about mental health with a close friend. Just the mention of the word mental health, or depression or anxiety, sends many Black men into a tailspin. And so, to see Kid Cudi use those words and name his demons, it triggered what I knew deep down: Black men must give themselves permission to speak honestly about their emotional experiences with no fear of judgement. They possess the power to destroy the social contracts that bind them to limited and repressive modes of emotional expression.
BlackDoctor.org: Since you posted this hashtag what’s been your biggest surprise about its popularity ?
Dayna Lynn: The biggest surprise has been how willing men have been to share their experiences. It can be so hard for men to speak about their emotional struggles when the language around mental health can be triggering for them. Black men have a fraught history with the mental health care system that ties into The New Jim Crow and aggressive, racially biased policing. Despite all of that, they have made themselves vulnerable. I guess all they needed was the opportunity and space to open up.
BlackDoctor.org: Any plans to continue this conversation elsewhere?
Dayna Lynn: Absolutely. Once we saw how this thing was gaining traction @TheCosby and I began collaborating and brainstorming. We are developing live #YouGoodMan events in our respective locales. He’s out east and I’m in the midwest. I’ll be curating an event alongside Stacy Patrice of Soul Healing Relationships™ on Saturday October 22, 2016 at Mana Contemporary in Chicago, IL. We’ll be bringing the folks out and setting the stage, then passing the baton to the men to get down with the get down on some open, honest and confidential conversation. You can find out more info at http://yougoodmanchicago.eventbrite.com.
@TheCosby works with an organization called Words Beats Life. It’s a hip-hop advocacy and education organization based in DC. He will bring them on board for the event he’ll be curating in DMV. And of course, we’ve got more in store.
BlackDoctor.org: As a Black woman what do you see is the biggest barrier to Black male mental wellness?
Dayna Lynn: I think the biggest barrier to Black male mental and emotional wellness is the social contract that defines how men must relate to and communicate with each other. That’s what #YouGoodMan is meant to deconstruct. It’s saying that you have permission to breach and cancel that contract by answering that question honestly. As Kid Cudi proved, all it takes is one man to be honest. It’s a big barrier, but not insurmountable. #YouGoodMan is proof.
Continue to follow and contribute to this important conversation at #YouGoodMan.
By subscribing, you consent to receive emails from BlackDoctor.com. You may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service.
