The Invisible Ache : Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power / Courtney B. Vance and Dr. Robin L Smith with Charisse Jones.

Everybody's got issues : an invitation -- Where does it hurt? : A vital tool -- (Black) men don't cry : where do you hurt? -- The only one in the room : all by myself -- Suffer the little children : the mental health crisis -- How to lose (on death and dying) : don't feed the beast -- Makes me wanna holler : the whole truth -- Paying it forward : there's more to life -- Take good care : self-care is non-negotiable -- On community : a new movement, a new momentum.

"Early in his career, actor Courtney B. Vance lost his father to suicide. Recently, he lost his godson to the same fate. Still, as mental health discourse hits the mainstream, it leaves the most vulnerable out of the conversation: Black men. In America, we teach that strength means holding back tears and shaming your own feelings. In the Black community, these pressures are especially poignant. Poor mental health outcomes-- including diagnoses of depression and anxiety, reliance on prescription drugs, and suicide-- have skyrocketed in the past decade. Institutionalized racism, microagressions, and stress caused by socioeconomic factors have led Black individuals to face worse mental health outcomes than any other demographic. In this book, Courtney B. Vance seeks to change this trajectory. Along with professional expertise from famed psychologist Dr. Robin Smith (popularly known as "Dr. Robin"), Courtney B. Vance explores issues of grief, relationships, identity, and race through the telling of his own most formative experiences. Together, Courtney and Dr. Robin provide a guide for Black men navigating life's ups and downs, reclaiming mental well-being, and examining broken pieces to find whole, full-hearted living. Self-care is an act of revolution. It's time to revolutionize mental health in the Black community"-- Provided by publisher.