It’s quite ironic that Terrie M. Williams, who is well known as the president of her own public relations agency, an author, and the founder of a youth empowerment organization called the Stay Strong Foundation, once studied to become a clinical social worker but never recognized the symptoms of depression that she herself had been battling for most of her life–until she finally crashed, falling into what she describes as a deep, dark pit. Her journey out has inspired her to share her story and to chronicle the despair and recovery of others who suffer with depression, many of whom were ashamed or afraid to seek help because of the stigma associated with mental illness in the black community. These candid reflections are included in Williams’ latest book, BLACK PAIN: It Only Looks Like We’re Not Hurting (Scribner; $24). Here, the 53-year-old advocate speaks with black enteprise about how our bravado is killing us.
How have you been impacted by your bouts with depression?
It’s a blessing in disguise. I know that sounds weird. It’s just that our trials and our tribulations tell us to whom we must turn. I am a much more compassionate person, because now I know what depression means. I feel like I lost months, years of my life, but I am better for it.
In your book, you share not only your personal journey but the stories of others. What inspired you to put this together?
I really wanted people to know they were not alone–that they were not standing on that
You mention the game face, the armor. Is that to suppress deeper issues?
We are full of childhood emotional wounds, scars, and experiences. We
And how does this play out in our everyday lives?
We’re moving too quickly, or we can’t afford therapy to process it, or we think that you have to be crazy to
How important is seeing a therapist or having someone to talk to?
It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity. It’s what you need to breathe and be healthy.
Such honest dialogue about yourself seems to have made you fearless.
It’s funny you use the word fearless, because I have never been so sure about anything in my life. I literally am on fire now; it’s because there’s a message that I know we’re dying to hear and that is my fuel.