What makes things worse is that while being taught to neglect our own health, Black women are encouraged to care for and carry the load of others. Cast your mind back to the Black Lives Matter marches, which saw Black women front and centre when speaking out and putting themselves on the front line, often while navigating trauma. In my experience, Black women have always been expected to fit the role of a protector, speaker and activist.

Where does our mental wellbeing fit into this? If we’re busy being there for everyone else, who is there for us? If Black women are pushed to be strong – by society at large and our own communities – where’s the space for us to have moments of vulnerability?

To me, the answer lies in sharing our experiences with other Black women, and those who are willing to listen and learn. And more importantly, we need to embrace reaching out and asking for help. Too many of us don’t feel like this is an option, but I’m here to say it is. I’ve been through it and found that help is there; when we’re brave enough to speak out, people do listen. And if we share our stories, we open up space for other Black women to do the same, to seek help and to care for themselves.

“I thought I needed to be a ‘strong Black woman’… until I broke down and learned it’s brave to ask for help”