Lay My Burden Down

by POUSSAINT, ALVIN F.ALEXANDER, AMY

• ISBN13: 9780807009598
• ISBN10: 0807009598
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2001-10-12
• Publisher: Beacon Press

Summary

Through stories (including their own), interviews, and analysis of the most recent data available, Dr. Alvin Poussaint and journalist Amy Alexander offer a groundbreaking look at 'posttraumatic slavery syndrome,' the unique physical and emotional perils for black people that are the legacy of slavery and persistent racism. They examine the historical, cultural, and social factors that make many blacks reluctant to seek health care, and cite ways that everyone from the layperson to the health care provider can help.

Author Biography

A former consultant for The Cosby Show, Alvin F. Poussaint, M.D., is professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the Judge Baker Children's Center in Boston. He lives in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Amy Alexander is a columnist for Africana.com and editor of The Farrakhan Factor. She lives in Hyde Park, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Brothers Remembered	1	(11)
Introduction: Posttraumatic Slavery Syndrome	12	(9)
``He Didn't Seem Depressed'': Faces behind the Numbers	21	(24)
Suicide in Black and White: Theories and Statistics	45	(18)
``Boy, You Must Be Crazy'': Racism's Historic Impact on Black Physical and Mental Health	63	(21)
Hoping and Coping: Expectation versus Reality for African-Americans	84	(17)
``Stay Strong'': The Legacy of Bearing Up	101	(13)
Blacks and Victim-Precipitated Homicide: ``Suicide by Cop,'' Fatalistic Behavior, and Mental Illness	114	(14)
``He Went Out Like a Man''; ``She Was a Strong Sistah'': Questions about the Suicide Gap among Black Men and Women	128	(14)
The Road Ahead: Society's Role in Prevention and Treatment	142	(16)
Casting Off the Burden: Where to Find Help	158	(11)
Notes	169	(13)
Acknowledgments	182	(2)
Index	184