Supporting the Post-Incarceration Mental Health Needs of Loved Ones

Prisoners are subjected to physical pain, mental stimuli deprivation, and altered patterns of living that do not mirror those that they will return to. In addition, prisoners are often forced to hide their emotions lest they be viewed as weak. In the 2001 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, The Psychological Impact of Incarceration, an experienced prison administrator wrote, “Prison is a barely controlled jungle where the aggressive and the strong will exploit the weak, and the weak are dreadfully aware of it.” This can lead to emotional over-regulation and the development of a “prison mask” where phrases like “everything is fine, I’m great” are used to hide emotions. If that wasn’t already a recipe for the development of mental health disorders, prisoners are frequently denied basic rights and, therefore, experience a diminished sense of self-worth. 

So what can we do? Not much…. until we acknowledge our own stigma and bias against mental health. While some may have survived prison without developing a mental health disorder, we cannot just accept the façade and the “prison mask” that our loved ones maintain even after they are released.

We must openly ask our loved ones about their emotions and feelings. Are they having nightmares or flashbacks of prison? Are they avoiding places and people that remind them of prison? Do they feel they are more irritable or self-destructive? These questions may spark a discussion about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Do they feel hopeless? Have they noticed a loss of interest and pleasure in what they used to enjoy (cooking, biking, any other hobbies)? Are they eating less/more? Are they having difficulty concentrating or thinking?  These questions are more targeted towards depression. PTSD and depression are not the only mental health issues post-incarceration individuals face. Take the initiative and learn more about mental health conditions by taking advantage of resources like the BlackMentalHealthNet.com Mental Illness Library.

It is particularly important that we support our loved ones who are parents. As Craig Hanley, the Psychological Impact of Incarceration report’s author notes, “Parents who return from periods of incarceration still dependent on institutional structures and routines cannot be expected to effectively organize the lives of their children or exercise the initiative and autonomous decision making that parenting requires.”

With the staggering number of African Americans in prison, we must be there to support them when they are released. That is the only way that we can end the cycle many in our community have fallen victim to.

Suggested Resource:

National Reentry Resource Center Reentry Services Directory

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Cortlyn Brown is the 2015-2016 Black Mental Health Net scholarship recipient. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences from The University of Chicago, and is a 2015 candidate for the M.D. degree from Yale School of Medicine.

Article Appeared @http://www.blackmentalhealthnet.com/supporting-the-postincarceration-mental.aspx?title=Supporting+the+Post-Incarceration+Mental+Health+Needs+of+Loved+Ones+

 

 

 

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