See Why Hollywood Actress And Mum, Taraji P. Henson, Wants Schools To Include Mental Healthcare In Their Curriculum
American superstar actress and mum-of-one, Taraji P. Henson, who recently started a Foundation, named after her late father, to eradicate the stigma around mental healthcare in the African-American community is taking her message across the world.
The 48-year-old Empire star opened up fresh discussions around mental health stigmas while registering her dismay at the alarming increase in suicide rates, and suicidal thoughts especially among children as little as 5-year-olds.
On Friday, the actress urged members of the Black Caucus of the US Senate to join her in talking about mental illness and getting people the help they need adding that she wants mental healthcare to be taught in schools.
Taraji’s Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation is advocating for mental healthcare to be part of the school curriculum for children. The actress insists that if children can be taught sex education and physical education, why should they not be taught mental healthcare.
âThe suicide rate has taken off. It amazes me that 5-year-olds are contemplating suicide.
Thatâs a word you shouldnât even understand at five years old
We donât talk about mental health, we donât deal with it. For generations, weâve been told itâs a weakness, to pray our problems away and thatâs just not gonna cut itâ
the Empire star said.
Henson argues that if mental healthcare becomes a part of the school curriculum, then parents will be forced to talk about mental health care with their kids.
âIf we can teach children about sex education and physical education, why not mental? Thatâs where we start attacking this issue: with the children.
Youâve got to help me with my homework,â
READ ALSO: Tee Billz Raises Awareness About Mental Health in Aftermath of Suicide Saga
Henson continues to speak out about her own struggles with anxiety and depression, speaking about her late father said;
âI feel like Iâve really found my purpose. Itâs hard, but he knew it and he was able to get the help that he needed.â Â
The actress tries to focus on the positive memories of her dad.
âWhy focus on the negative? Heâs not here. It wasnât all bad with my dad.
He had his moments. But when youâre dealing with mental illness, thatâs what youâre gonna have.
But most of the memories were good
See AlsoI miss him. He needs to see me now.â
she says.
Her father died in 2005, just two years after her sonâs father, William Lamar Johnson, âwas murdered, brutally in Washington, D.C.,â she recalls. âIt was time for us to get help.â
Following that difficult time in her life, Henson says, finding a therapist she could trust was hard.
âIt was like looking for a purple unicorn with a 24-carat-gold-horn. I say that jokingly, but itâs serious. The reason why we donât have many psychiatrists of color, or psychologists of color, or therapists of color, is because we donât talk about it at home.â
Now, she talks to her therapist twice a week. In person, if sheâs in town and if not, she chooses to Skype or Facetime.
âI can call her at any time Iâm having a moment and sheâs there. I was blessed enough to find someone I really gel with. She gets me.â
The mother of one and her fiancé Kelvin Hayden sometimes meet with her therapist together.
âI want people to know itâs okay,.I donât know what human is not suffering from some sort of anxiety or depression.â