“I SEE YOU BRO”
Have you ever felt truly seen? If you’re a Black man then the answer could easily be NO. According to the American Psychological Association, only 26.4% of Black and African American males over the age of 18 with any mental illness in the U.S. received treatment in 2019, compared to 45.4% of white males. This highlights significant disparities in mental health care access and utilization among Black males, indicating a pressing need for increased visibility and support for Black men mental health issues.
Answering the call and providing an avenue for Black males to be seen while also seeing themselves are the host of the “I See You Bro” podcast. Produced by PHOND, “I See You Bro” is therapy in the form of a conversation. Through episodes and events, hosts Brenten, Mars, and Eury dive into discussions that are essential to the holistic health of Black men, which often goes untapped. Ranging in topics from mental wellness, fatherhood and addiction, the hosts invites listeners to “eavesdrop on brothers having a conversation.”
On Saturday, June 29, I attended the “I See You Bro” Roundtable discussion about addiction. This conversation was part of a four-part series spanning from June to September, centering around men of color and our journey with mental health.
I went to eavesdrop thinking I didn’t have an addictive personality, but I left realizing that I struggle with validation, which is an addiction. I discussed my struggle with validation on a prior wellness for creatives, podcast, but it wasn’t until the “I See You Bro” roundtable that I viewed validation as an addiction and left with tools to help overcome my validation addiction.
The Hosts
On a previous episode, the hosts shared letters to themselves and I invite you to get to know them by listening to their words.
