Examples Of Ptsd In African Americans

For centuries, the United States has been known as the land of the free. This message inspires people from many walks of life to choose their paths and accomplish whatever they desire. However, freedom entails a state of self-determination, and throughout history many Americans have had that right taken away. Black Americans have faced centuries of discrimination, the worst of which was slavery. Slavery was the basis of economic growth in the American south during the early to mid 1800s. America’s enslaved population carried decades of invisible scars and the trauma they endured in enslavement devastated both their mental and physical health. The horrific conditions endured by slaves often led to mental illness, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD. PTSD is a psychiatric disorder caused

The conditions endured by slaves were so horrific that many slaves found comfort in the possibility of death, seeing it as the most possible way out of their situation. One common misrepresentation of PTSD in slaves is the idea of “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome”. Coined by Dr. Joy DeGruy in her 2005 book, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome refers to the idea that Black people have “dysfunctional” and “negative” behaviors stemming from their trauma. Although trauma can prompt unfavorable responses to certain situations, the PTSS theory relies on anecdotal evidence and accosts it to a larger group. Today, this theory is considered racist, because even though its reasoning is rooted in understanding the difficulties slaves faced, it unfairly characterizes Black people as inferior. A large factor in the deteriorated mental health of slaves was family