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Casanova Williams
Beautiful wife, two beautiful kids, Several successful companies, Luxury cars, beautiful home and a brand-new office building in the heart of downtown, Orlando. From outside looking in, he was living the dream but inside he was a ticking time bomb that was waiting to explode.
He has the typical New Yorker background from the 80’s. Born to a single mother, father wasn’t there, no male role model in his life, no one in his family graduated from high school and was on public assistance most of his life. Drug and alcohol addiction had a hold on his family for years. Regular fights and turmoil were a daily thing at home. He escaped to the street with his friends to avoid the drama but in the street, he saw more drama. He got involved with gangs, women and drugs. Had a lot of close calls with the cops, gang member and drugs dealers in his younger years.
Eventually, he was able to be the first in his family to graduate from high school and go to college. But there he had his first encounter with mental illness, with the passing of his grandmother, he went into a deep depression. Doctors subscribe him pills but he stopped taking them due to the side effects. He spent a year and a half lost. His Friends and family told him to get over it and eventually did but then never really addressing his depression. All his life when he had problems, he was told to get over it or man up. Instead, he continues putting band aids on his mental health.
On one occasion in elementary, he told the counselor the issues that were going on in his home, she wanted to set up a meeting with his mother, however, when he went to his mother, she stated that he had the problem & did not feel she needed to go. Since then, he is never opened about any of his mental issues that he was experiencing.
Ever Since that early encounter he always put band aid on any issues he had. Additionally, to try to help himself understand what was going on in his head he majored in Psychology and dedicated his life to helping others. After college he became a Social Worker then worked as a Career Consultant with youths. Consequently, with all he was doing to help others he was always avoiding helping himself. He thought he could handle it himself because of his degree, instead, he was a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment.
Fast forward to a successful career in services, he eventually started his own media company and had several successful businesses. He had the cars, the house, money, everything you are told you should have for a successful life. Still, mentally inside he was hurting. The constant attacks from society, the constant imagery of black men being harassed and killed on media, the constant stereotypes he fought all his life, the constant of not feeling if anyone understood him, along with the passing of his father and best friend became unbearable, triggering a nervous breakdown in front of his family and friends. He admitted himself to a behavioral center because he knew he needed help and could no longer place band aids on his mental health. There he found an understanding of what he was going through with a diagnosis of depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation.
Upon completion of the program, he made a commitment to help other black men & minorities who are battling and going through the same or even worst situations. He started a podcast called Black Men’s Mental Health Podcast and this website dedicated to helping others with mental health issues.
Henceforward, his goal is to he helps black men understand that it is ok to care for their mental health and for other genders and races to understand that black males deal with a lot that is not being addressed in our society today.
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