{"id":15029,"date":"2015-02-25T20:20:59","date_gmt":"2015-02-26T01:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/depressions-peculiar-grip-on-black-lgbtqs\/"},"modified":"2015-02-25T20:20:59","modified_gmt":"2015-02-26T01:20:59","slug":"depressions-peculiar-grip-on-black-lgbtqs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/depressions-peculiar-grip-on-black-lgbtqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Depression's Peculiar Grip on Black LGBTQs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Depression's Peculiar Grip on Black LGBTQs<\/b>
\nRemember Raymond Chase, Aiyisha Hassan, and Joseph Jefferson? All three were so depressed that they committed suicide. <\/p>\n

Raymond was a 19-year-old, openly gay<\/a> student majoring in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. On Sept. 29, 2010, he hanged himself in his dorm room. <\/p>\n

Just a few days later, on Oct. 4, 2010, Aiyisha, 19, also took her own life. According to an Oct. 23, 2010, ChicagoNow blog post by Lenox Magee<\/a>: <\/p>\n

“She was having a lot of trouble with a lot of different things, but mainly her sexual identity and just trying to express that,” says 21-year-old Lauren Morris, a fourth-year student at Howard, who lived in the same building as Hassan from 2008-2009. Hassan was a former biology student at D.C.’s Howard University.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Joseph, 26, a New York City resident and graduate of Harvey Milk High, was a gay<\/a> youth activist. He was HIV-positive, and it has been reported<\/a> that he was especially prone to depression and experienced a variety of financial setbacks — as well as his father’s disapproval of his sexuality. On Oct. 23, 2010, the day Joseph killed himself by hanging, he posted the following on his Facebook page:<\/p>\n

I could not bear the burden of living as a gay<\/a> man<\/a> of color in a world grown cold and hateful towards those of us who live<\/a> and love differently than the so-called “social mainstream.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The most salient characteristic that these young people had in common was their race. They were Black. <\/p>\n

I’m writing this multi-part series to shine a bright light on depression’s disproportionate impact on Black LGBTQ persons. As one who’s suffered from this illness throughout periods of his life, I can attest to its near-crippling effects. <\/p>\n

But before I share my personal experiences and why and how depression can be more prevalent among Black LGBTQ individuals, let’s define the illness. There are several types of depression, but I’ll discuss the two considered to be the most prevalent: major depressive disorder (MDD) and persistent depressive disorder (PDD).<\/p>\n

Let’s talk MDD. According to WebMD<\/a>:<\/p>\n

You might have this type if you feel depressed most of the time for most days of the week.<\/p>\n

Some other symptoms you might have are:<\/p>\n