Social Anxiety Disorder; Do Black People Have It?

[dazeguy513]

man thank god i thought i was the only black dude with this shit but it's different for us when we quiet most people will think you just chillin

[lostfromanxiety]

This is an awesome video. So good. I have social anxiety and im sick of it, like you said it can ruin your life.

[Brivonn3]

Love this topic you made. I myself is suffering from social anxiety myself and I'm trying not to because I'm pregnant and i'm trying stay healthy and stress free for the sake of my baby. But no one really takes the time to talk to me to understand why I'm stressed out and depressed. You are so dead on as far as the older generation acting like it's not a problem which it is which is why I can't even talk to my mom because she's so old school with her ways.

[Theworldisyourz09]

your the first black person on you tube to admit it

[Theworldisyourz09]

drink hennesy and take hdma thats what i do for my anxiety and marijuanna is good for anxiety too

[Societydropout2012]

Thank u for spreading the info, i too suffer from social anxiety and severe depression. But i think the more that people are aware of these issues, the more preventable they can become.

[yotaste031]

how you get so many views so fast ?

[UCantHandleTheTruth3]

The fuck? From the people who came up with the blues? How can people not believe that yall niggas have depression and mental illnesses too, lmfao cmon son were all the same.....except my dick is prolly....prolly smaller than yours...fkn darkie go back to Africa I cant see your ass in the dark....lmfao...just playing nigga Im just hating cuz Im slightly jealous

[UCantHandleTheTruth3]

@UCantHandleTheTruth3 and yes I said nigga and Im not even black.....way I see it, if we were in the 1800's I would be right in the middle of the cotton fields with yall LMFAO...so stop hatin....Im brown

[bubblebath88]

i'm 22, black & female, & am so happy you made this video. my life changed at puberty; ocd started, panic attacks, social anxiety, anxiety ALL the time, smh. i felt my personality change, which hurts me. & i know so much of it is irrational, but that doesn't always make a difference. i hate when ppl call me shy/quiet, cuz i never feel that way. i'm a positive person, but i have a lot of scars (from the past) and a lot of moments when i'm just like WTF! (so much more to my story…)

[ShonenManga]

But luckly as i got older it went away :D im 19 now and i dnt get shy about anything nowadays, unless im face to face with a fine ass dude lol i dnt wana make a fool of myself

[ShonenManga]

I use to have social anxiety since i was a kid and it was very severe, it got to the point where i wouldnt even be able to go outside and get the mail frm the mail box without thinking that people were watchin me or laughing or saying sumtin to me, and also at school i couldnt do presentations in front of the class i would just not do the project or not show up on the day of the presentaion, my knees would shake if i got up in front of the class no joke lol

[KingOfPopDied]

laughing sometimes, but mostly I just think that people are looking at me, and that thought makes me very nervous... Does this mean that I have social anxiety? When I was 12 year and younger, I just had a veeeeeeeeeery slight fear of people making fun of me and laughing, almost non- existent, so I don't think that it is in my genetics...

[KingOfPopDied]

I started to have fear for people when I was 13 years old and a few months, it has just started like that, just BOOM, and the fear came in... I'm a male and I think my body and face are beautiful, so I have no problem with self esteem, but if I'm around people, I always get nervous, no matter how hard I try to stop it, I'm nervous all the time around people, even with my parents I get nervous when they walk up to me or are looking at me... I always think that people are looking at me and laugh..

[COOLTUNA123]

jaylove,

i think much of these disorders are due to excessive stress

over a period of years....as you get older they can get worse,

but than they subside........and you can again carry on with a

healthy life..we just have 2 hang in there..

have a good day.....

[MsNeoDraven]

Social anxiety is really a broad term and how severe is is ranges from individual. To one it may be shyness and working on getting rid of shyness and to others it can be a horrible disease.

[MsNeoDraven]

Maybe before you assume what it is. Maybe you should try to get to know people who have it and do better research because your research is poor.

[MsNeoDraven]

I can not even leave my house because I am agoraphobic. Yes SOME people can overcome it with therapy but some cases are more severe than others. I avoid social places so there for I have social anxiety but does it mean that I am shy? No! I have a panic disorder. Many days I try to make my body move ahead of my brain but it trembles out of my control. Talk about medicne all you want to but muscle relaxers really help. You will also find out that people with anxiety have more muscle spasms etc

[JAYLOVE47]

@MsNeoDraven I dont think they should call it social anxiety because we dont just get nervous in social situations.... many of us get nervous anytime we are around people in general! It should be called people anxiety lol. I feel a sense of shame... but i dont know exactly what im ashamed of... i dont experience this feeling all the time but sometimes i feel uneasy and a sense of embarrassment when im in church around a lot of people or get on the bus. Fear of being judged

[Osawsi]

@MsNeoDraven I also have social anxiety disorder and what makes it so bad is that it does not end with strangers but carries over to my family members. i stay within my shell unless responsibility calls and i just have to focus that with the mentality of failure not an option.

[MsNeoDraven]

The act of me avoiding events is used as a generalized word the word social. When the word social is just as broad as anxiety. Which is why many people who have social anxiety usually have GAD. I have sat in therapy chairs for years. I am also working towards becoming a social worker with mental health and I am in my second year of my BACh degree. I have personal experience and book experience. You? Wikipeda or something?

[VuduLee]

Thanks for this post. It's excellent and comprehensive.

This hits so many points that mean alot to me, and I've found it hard to locate such a discussion online about black people..

Why should black people not have such problems? Why shouldn't it be worse when black media image is 1/3 marginal, 1/3 negative, 1/3 token?

In the West, it takes more for a black child to erect a strong healthy personal image and identity.

Many good comments too, in such a new vid.

[408sjmichael]

@jlove ppl r ppl ur physical features /color dont define /determine anything about u cuz ppl r individuals but ur on point wit tha description of social anxiety I cnt evn work bcus of it

[COOLTUNA123]

jaylove,

social anxiety, and panic attacks are rule,,,and are onset id gradual at first

2 the point of crippleing, i feel like death is eminent..which is treatable......

[OnPointAndOnTheGrind]

I started suffering from social anxiety when I was 18. Every since then its been in issue. Im 22 now. I go through it every now and then. Its not fun I tell u that much but i hardly experience it now. I didnt realize that social anxiety was a common thing. Here, in jobcorps, i know of 4 people that suffer from it.

[fem40trish]

thats me thks for this video

[Dc3atl]

I watch and listened to your vid and enjoyed it.. but i couldn't stop staring at your lips lol.. they are so nice :)

[bestwatch]

what are you talking about??? Who said black people don't have mental illnesses??? your and idiot. P.S.: I'm black

[pbg98pbgpbg98pbg]

@bestwatch Why is it when a person disagrees with what a person is saying in there video, they must put the person down. "your an idiot" why was it necessary for you for you to say that. couldnt you make your point without put downs. Clearly Jaylove is not any idiot or so many people would not tune in to here what he has to say.

[bebeto158]

There is no such thing as Social anxiety, it is term created to sell pills. Social anxiety it is nothing than extreme shyness, is just shyness but extreme. Shyness has been proven to be genetic which is the main reason why all of you cannot get rid of your fake social anxiety, even if using pills. Can u improve extreme shyness? yes, can u get rid of it? Never, is genetic, ur predetermined to have it even before being born, you have to accept yourself for who you are even if u are shy

[MsNeoDraven]

@bebeto158 -_- wow. Social anxeity is not just extreem shyness first of all. Just because you have social anxeity that does not mean you are a shy person! A very popular and vibrant person can have Social anxeity. It is the OCD or Obsession of recurring thoughts from trauma that really hits home with SAD. Many people have SAD because they have other mental disorders also. I have ADHD and OCD and it plays a major role. Others have it because they feel unreal etc.

[bebeto158]

@MsNeoDraven lol social anxiety is extreme shyness, do your research, shyness is not the same as introversion, so i have no idea why u mention being vibrant/popular aka extroverted, yes an extrovert can be shy/socially anxious .. social anxiety is just shyness to the extreme, is not like boom one day you have social anxiety out of nowhere ,it doesnt happen like that why, because is mostly due to genetics, this is why most people never get better even if they use pills, just have love with it

[MsNeoDraven]

@bebeto158 Look you can not tell me or anyone eles what it is or what it is not until you have it. Thats like me reading websites on psychology for years and saying I have a degree in phych. No Social anxiety is not JUST shyness. It is trauma and dealing with reoccuring thoughts and has physical symptoms that one body can not control. Plus the word SOCIAL means more than communcating, one can be scared of people for their own personal reason. I have a fear of being kidnapped so I avoid events

[RoseyNYC]

i have a mild case of social anxiety

[Viktir666]

@JAYLOVE47 The thumbnail for this video makes you look a little like the RZA of the Wu Tang Clan.

[nyker07]

I agree that blacks were taught to hate themselves in the 1700's through the early 1950's, but it doesn't happen today. I would argue the mainstream media depicts black men as big, strong, dominant, powerful, athletic, muscular, good dancers, porn stars, smooth, cool, smart, etc. It's actually the total opposite today. Blacks are depicted as gods and white people are depicted as small, pudgy, balding, lazy, stupid, slow, boring, submissive, etc. It sickens me.

[nyker07]

I actually did a research project on psychopathology (mental illness) across cultures and races. You can message me if you have any questions.

[annajackson100]

i miss u JAYLOVE47 so HAPPY ur BACK!!!!!

[GuyBayArea1]

VIDEO REQUEST: Can you speak on the trend of reality TV shows and how it affects our race, particularly black girls? There was recently a survey that showed girls who watch reality shows (i.e. Bad Girls Club, Basketball Wives, Real Housewives of Atlanta, etc.) are more likely to bully each other. They learn that being angry/aggressive/catty is "cool" and it encourages black girls to be rowdy

[GuyBayArea1]

I think it also has to do with pride. Have you seen Jackie Christie from Basketball Wives LA? she is an angry black woman with mental issues! Btw, do you watch Boondocks? Uncle Ruckus is not only an Uncle Tom but also an example of a mentally ill black person!

[JAYLOVE47]

@GuyBayArea1 of course i use to do videos about ruckus sick butt

[GuyBayArea1]

@JAYLOVE47 damn I can't believe Youtube must have taken it down!! I can't even find the "my own people have been worse to me" video OR the "crabs in a barrel" vid u made. btw i know i asked this a million times already but can you do my video request on reality TV like basketball wives, Bad Girls Club/real housewives of atlanta and how it promotes bullying among black females?

[JAYLOVE47]

@GuyBayArea1 yea youtube sucks and i dont know much about basketball wives stuff like that doesn't interest me

[GuyBayArea1]

@JAYLOVE47 last Q but have you ever been to the San Francisco Bay Area? would you say blacks in CA are a lot different than the ones in PA? are the blacks in philly less united than other places?

[JAYLOVE47]

@GuyBayArea1 no black brother, they're all the same... there maybe slight difference but their way of thinking is very similar:)

[StreamerVideo]

@JAYLOVE47 social anxiety? it's occasionally normal.. It's called embarassment or being shy.. like me irl I don't like to talk too much because I always end up saying the wrong thing

[takfreak11]

I am NOT CRAZY! I AM A VERY EDGUKKKATED INDIVIDIUALZ!

[FitnessGuru1988]

As much as those who suffer from mental illness should seek help, the black community collectively is at fault for not facilitating more venues in which to get those whom are disturbed help. I assure you, no man is an island. When someone decides to "wild out" they rarely go out alone.

[micyficy]

I Like you man! Like you. You are a great person, but I really mean it. I wish there was more people like you. I think I do have social anxiety too. I'm only 16 years old. By the way, your videos are the best. Thanks for putting them.

[JAYLOVE47]

@micyficy thank you so much:) that's nice

[DamienNeverwinter]

My friend has it and he is black

[bowsweetie]

Great video

[GreekldyAngeleki]

Oh and I forgot to add....I stutter too so Im all messed up!! lol

[GreekldyAngeleki]

i am greek & I have major depression, panic attacks, i stay in for months at a time. im 45yr old. but i love your white teeth and beautiful lips!! YouR a handsome guy! :)

[XbeyourselfisbestX]

The older generation need to wakeup they are seen as the wise. People say oh i'm stuck in my ways oh well. The truth is that there not willing to change because they either don't care or they don't see the problems that is within themselves.

[XbeyourselfisbestX]

My mom was complaining that her skin is to dark and me, my sister and brother have pretty skin. quoting here "i'm not like you'll you have that pretty skin".....When I confronted her she acted completely dissmisve about what she just said. She wouldn't look deep down to see the self hate in herself.

[XbeyourselfisbestX]

Even when I was a little girl I picked up on the behavior problem from other black children. People should scold there children or child's actions for acting in a self hating manner.

[XbeyourselfisbestX]

We eveb brain wash our selves sometimes, some black people contribute to the self hate in the community instead of rebuking the hate. Last year my sister told me she was babysitting the neighbors children and our cousins, when the kids from the neighbors house started making fun of how dark my cousin skin is. My sister scolded them and told them her skin was beautiful and if they couldn't respect her they could go home and they shut up.

[Mr123Gibson]

I'm a black man who has it. It's soo fuckin' annoying!

[later39]

I love your videos there very educational ! keep on making videos !

[X0geishaX0]

Every race can have social anxiety though..

[betterunited]

This is why I love you so much, always on point, wonderful! Thanks!

[JAYLOVE47]

@betterunited  Awwwww thanks

[snorlaxlove]

@JAYLOVE47 can u tell me why do so many thuggish black people act like Gods?

[NewWorldRob]

everyone likes to speak how a lot of black ppl are harsh, abusive, rude, LOUD, disruptive, unforgiving & ignorant. Please!!! Even if that were all real. Maybe blacks conduct themselves in the ways taught to them. No Not parents perse---The World. Burden's always on the "black mother fucker"...some of y'all comments are just laughable. I expect others to 'black sheep' the whole race. But weak blacks, you guys pretend other blacks are the only persons ever been rude to your asses, GTFOH

[UKangel18]

wow you hit the nail on the head with this one...i'm not even going to make it personal but thank you!

[covegirl06]

I suffer w/ it as well. but i would've NEVER guessed that u did. No offense, but i don't believe u suffer w/ it either (lol). I've never taken medication for it, but i have seeked counseling. it was REALLY bad as a kid. But I've become a lot better at disguising it; u probably wouldn't know i suffer w/it if u met me. I have a really hard time forming relationships w/ ppl, bcus it requires some level of trust, n trusting ppl makes me feel very uneasy and vulnerable.

[shany9988]

I dealt with it all through grade school. I overcame it by force, however there are times I find myself experiencing that anxiety again. I wouldn't be surprised if Black people experience this; black people aren't immune to anything, they are human like everyone else. I do think some Black people don't view mental illness as a serious problem and write some disorders off as 'crazy'. Some people see crackheads on the street, talking alone & laugh and record.

[ConsciousCloud]

Thanks for this Jay, as you know I'm a black person who's struggled with social anxiety for years and it is sad that there's still alot of black people out there that negatively judge you for having a mental illness, really there's a stigma about these disorders in society in general, but unfortunately it's such a closed and unspoken topic in the black community that I hope changes soon. I think there's a definite connection between frequent high blood pressure in blacks & yrs of buried stress.

[charismaswagg]

Try living a sin-less life like Jesus did and watch how ppl really try to label you crazy and say you have problems! I dare you to NOT smoke, drink, fornicate, curse, gossip, be homosexual, or lie and watch how ppl try to slander your name.

*Jesus Saves*

[runtubefantasy]

@charismaswagg save your jesus talk

[bengo940]

Any race can have Social anxiety. Although I'm not extremely Socially anxious, I am very shy and I'm Black. I posted this comment before I saw your vid.

[7milejog]

i disagree with you on black ppl handling DL guys,in the arab culture if they found out you're gay you get killed!!!! now that is taking it to a deeper level

[200damary]

i have it its sad

[itsniquenique45]

I agree. I feel claustrophobic in large crowds, and I feel uncomfortable and my voice cracks when I have to speak in front of my class. And I used to be depressed, I just didn't know it until I grew up and reflected. And I was like, 10 when I first felt that way. AND I had a panic attack once in the shower. But these problems usually go away or fade.

[NIJEECAPRICORN20]

great video 

[DaKing0325]

I've definately suffered with social anxiety, due to traumatizing experiences I had in middle school

But I am better with it as I get older, even though I still struggle with it today as a college student

I feel like it hinders my interaction with people, and especially with females even if they're interested in me because the past makes it hard for me to form strong emotional bonds with people.

It's something I need to work on with myself

[atlantagradybaby]

good video!

[ImaginedWriter]

@BlackDown100 Blacks were bred for strength not intellect and they were purposefully kept ignorant and submissive intellectually. The less intelligent you are the less able you are to understand and appreciate how shit the world is. This is the misery of intelligence, animals don't know they will die so it doesn't bother them. Now blacks are free they can reach their intellectual potential and develop their own sense of self & from that individualism comes suffering, the absurdity of life etc...

[BlackDown100]

@ImaginedWriter got it man.

[Ogrodii]

Encouraging Video what you said 13:00 - 13:20 is 100% the truth man like how can you live thats not a life. i also suffered from Sa bad and still do. great vid thanks

[WinkyMaeve]

and homie, please correct yourself.

lol, the white media???

4 out of the 5 ceo's of major news outlets are Jewish.

Jew's look at all non Jews (goyim) the same, whether we black white or whatever.

[itsniquenique45]

@WinkyMaeve And to me, there are whites, hispanics, blacks, asians, and thats it. so what? jewish people are white.

[Viktir666]

@itsniquenique45 It depends, there are Jews by race and Jews by religion. Also there are at least 2 types of racial Jews. Trust me, I win this argument every time.

[itsniquenique45]

@Viktir666 my point is that Jewish people are most likely not of African descent. In my mind, people who are not of African descent are white to me until I truly find out their race, creed, or background or whatever is necessary. mind your business, sir. Jewish people are not black, so they are white.

[Viktir666]

@itsniquenique45 You just said you believe people who are not African are White to you? LOL. Man that's some flawed science, you can think how you want but that's not how DNA works. Cracka ass cracka signing out, peace!

[itsniquenique45]

@Viktir666 you must be dont read good. hell yeah thats what i typed.

but yea. see ya.......sike!!!

[Viktir666]

@itsniquenique45 "you must be dont read good"? Wow, you just lost on multiple levels. Bye!

[itsniquenique45]

@Viktir666 do us all a favor and grow up. smh. ignorance must be bliss.

[Viktir666]

@itsniquenique45 Look illiterate fool. I thought it was over between us. You still trying to get the last word? Damn, your strings are easy to manipulate because you're a weak minded puppet. Dance for me again puppet. DANCE BITCH!

[spokenwordable]

yo check my videos out

[WinkyMaeve]

'Many people believe blacks dont have mental illnesses.'

no, they don't.

there is no doctor, no scientist, and no intellectual who makes that argument.

the human brain is identical in everyone.

bone structure, skin pigment, those things are determined by race.

your brain chemistry is not.

the real question is, why are black people able to handle mental illness so much better than white people.

[JAYLOVE47]

@WinkyMaeve How do we handle it better? We tend to be more emotionally unstable than whites are because we usually dont seek help

[WinkyMaeve]

@JAYLOVE47 well I can only speak on personal experience, but I have anxiety, general anxiety, the exact same kind that my friend Stephen has(he's a black man)

and since we were in middle school, he has just handled it better than me, he has never had an attack in public, he takes half the medication I do, and almost no one knows about it because it seems like such a non issue.

[EWATTY4]

@JAYLOVE47 this video is very interesting because im a black man and i suffer from SAD. its funny because the things you describe is exactly what i have. ive had it all my life. i am a black person who is getting help. i do work and i do got a wife. but its still a struggle everyday for me. man u are so right. it will destroy you. it almost destroyed me. holla back

[StreamerVideo]

@JAYLOVE47 because we're obv black and the white man will just try to say it's cuz we're retarded or something along those lines or say we're crazy put us on something we don't need to be on etc.

[NewWorldRob]

@WinkyMaeve Yea, you make a good case. economics, the banter that is necessary in fairly regular instance (FOR BLACKS) are mere ice tips to what is generational wealth suffering.

We have our +share of issues unresolved just like every other earthy living group, but no one has faced what blacks have and continue to, with some detrimental consequences resulting, albeit we survive. This is a world wonder!!

Pathetic be anyone who chooses not to see, or to overlook this. Pretty SOCIOPATHIC...

[FitnessGuru1988]

@WinkyMaeve I'm sure we handle the HIV epidemic better than whites as well then? The reality is we just don't acknowledge them. If you see an aggressive African American male you write him off as being either ghetto or even worse believe African American males and aggression are synonymous. Whether black or white aggression & mental illness must be dealt with. Unfortunately our methodology for venting leads our youth into federal prisons or worst, body bags.

[bebeto158]

@WinkyMaeve what an idiot, brain chemistry is determined by genetics, which explain why people have different temperaments such as introversion and extroversion, which you are born with, genetics determine everything in the human body including the brain, nothing happens by chance, NOTHING, some people are predetermined b4 being born, to develop mental illness, some will develop it faster than other due to their environment but it will happen, the genetic switch will get trigered sooner or later

[oanunkor]

Great video! And you raise many valid points. I think many Blacks suffer from some sort of anxiety especially seeing how they've been traumatized and abused with racism and discrimination. The problem is accessibility and affordability. Whites probably seek treatment more often because they have the resources and can afford it (medication, counselor, etc.) Many Blacks don't.

[redface707]

It is a big problem in the black community and you can tell that jaylove suffers from depression or anxiety..How i know this? is because i had the same problem but i got help.. and will get help if i ever need it again.. i encourage ALL PEOPLE to get help if they need it.. mental illness is nothing to play with.

[jadenwoods11]

MediCation makes it worse take it from me.... they need to learn different relaxation techniques and or meditation or even prayer .. cauz if you pray the right way ... it can work almost like meditation .. yoga, tai chi, qi gong... breathing exercises .. working out... talking about their issues, facing their fears... PEOPLE SHOULD ALWAYS TRY NATURAL ORGANIC METHODS OF SELF HELP.... FIRST..

[SaySay208]

Thanks for posting this video because in my family both sides have mental illness. Some have seeked helped, others just covered their illness up. Yes in the black race mental illness are ignored a lot. For blacks we feel that whipping is the solution to stop mental illnes; however that is not the case. Back in Africa and in the Caribbean whoever has mental illness they think it's Voodoo, Witch craft, or anything devilish; but it's a psychological disorder.

[brendainny]

Awesome video, thanks

[blitzvomitew16]

EVERYBODY has feelings..rather they show them or not.

ppl in the military are taught to not show feelings...that's why when they get back home they can't handle being around normal people who express themselves...ppl in the army in shit have ZERO form of expression...all the dudes have to keep short cuts...they all look the same...no self expression.

black are more mentally stronger then most races...doe egos are soo big..ppl won't admit they are sad, scared or lonely.

[jadenwoods11]

WAW... THIS IS CRAZY... I WAS JUST CHECKING OUT THOSE WHITE KIDS... WITH THIS PROBLEM LIKE 5 MINS AGO... and wondering how come i aint seen no black folk talking about this.... i swear... this is weird ... VERY WEIRD..

[bengo940]

@jadenwoods11 There are probably a few Black ppl who talk about it, I used to be friends with a Black guy who talked about social anxiety a lot but he left youtube.