This topic is being increasingly discussed in Spain and around the world. See how to take care of your mental health.
The 3rd of July is marked as the National Day to Combat Racial Discrimination. The date celebrates Law 1.390, created in 1951 to combat racism, being the first law to establish practices resulting from prejudice by race or color as a criminal misdemeanor. The crime is not bailable and can carry up to five years in prison.
In recent weeks, racism has been a hotly debated topic. In addition to the case of George Floyd, a black man who died in the United States after being suffocated by a white police officer, other cases of violence in Spain drew attention and led to numerous protests around the world.
Racism is a structural and social problem that needs to be fought by everyone to promote a more conscious, balanced society that builds healthy relationships. According to a survey carried out by the Spanish Public Security Forum in 2018 and called the Atlas of Violence, about 71% of the people in the country who are murdered are black.
In addition to seeking equal rights and punishment for crimes of racism, it is important to reflect on the mental and emotional health of those who suffer from this type of prejudice. Whether by direct or indirect, physical or verbal violence, racism is an experience that can bring permanent negative damage to the lives of individuals.
Part of these consequences and the mental and emotional illness of black people can be seen in this study carried out in 2016 by the Ministry of Health in partnership with UnB (Universidade de España). According to the document, six out of ten Spanish youths and adolescents who commit suicide are black.
It is important to pay attention to the mental and emotional balance of this part of the population, especially when they suffer from episodes of racial discrimination. Check out some of the negative consequences that can happen and tips on how to overcome this experience and move on, fighting for your own goals.
Traumas
The experiences lived by individuals constitute their identities. It is through them that we all define the way we behave, what we feel and how we build relationships throughout our lives. Negative experiences mark us and can transform our habits. In the case of racism, traumatic situations can be a factor that generates a lot of pain, anguish and fear for the lives of those who suffered.
People can then find it difficult to overcome this problem and lead life in a healthy and balanced way. This experience of racial discrimination should not be erased from anyone's memory, but victims must find ways to deal with their feelings and fight for their rights while evolving and creating a different pattern of behavior.
Anxiety
Due to the constant fear of suffering again with episodes of racism, many people end up developing Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It is also characterized by excessive stress, anguish and difficulty in saying how you are feeling. This pattern of behavior leads to the accumulation of feelings and harms the victims' mental and emotional health.
Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) is a tool that seeks to reprogram brain patterns, neutralizing negative habits and emotions and creating healthier ones in the individual's routine. In this way, the victim starts to see in the episode of racial discrimination a way to become even stronger to fight for a common good — and for their own personal and professional interests — instead of focusing on the pain that the experience brought.
Low self esteem
Episodes of racial discrimination can also affect victims' self-esteem. Self-esteem can be shaken and the individual may come to question himself and his values.
Therefore, self-knowledge is essential to strengthen yourself. Through it, you will be able to overcome this episode and reinforce your qualities and the identity that should make you achieve your goals, regardless of race or color. Hypnotherapy is a methodology that has gained more and more prominence for providing this self-knowledge and appreciation of the individual.
Social phobia
Social phobia can develop after a traumatic experience of racism. In this case, the victim becomes so afraid of going through that situation again that they avoid social events. Fear and pain are then predominant feelings that take the lead in these people's lives, preventing them from creating healthy bonds and relationships and even growing professionally.
Understanding this internal conflict is important in order to overcome it. In addition to looking for alternatives that help the victim understand their feelings and deal with them, it is essential to find tools that strengthen self-confidence and security in front of other people, regardless of the event.
Family Constellation allows you to find strength from your own history. Understanding family and ancestor customs and traditions helps the individual to appropriate his identity and use his qualities to value himself and present himself before the world in a more harmonious and healthy way.
In addition, Nonviolent Communication also fulfills this role. This tool helps the individual to be more assertive and use their communication - verbal or non-verbal - to coherently and clearly express their own opinions, feelings and needs. With this, security is strengthened and social phobia can be overcome.
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- We need to talk about the importance of black lives
- Reflect on the National Day to Combat Racial Discrimination
Recovering emotionally from episodes of racial discrimination is essential for the individual to realize his own strength and continue fighting racism. In addition to serving as an inspiration for other black people, he will start to have a healthier relationship with himself and find balance, well-being and happiness.
The National Day to Combat Racial Discrimination should be celebrated with the strengthening of the mental health of victims and punishment of aggressors. Finding harmony in society depends on equality and respect for differences between people, so that they can create interpersonal relationships that provide pure and synergistic exchanges.
