We recently connected with Pamela Coleman and have shared our conversation below.
Pamela, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
when I wrote my first book, “Is this me? Am I her?” I realized that I was a mental abuse survivor. Like most people I went to google to see just what mental health was and what I could do to fix what was wrong with me.
As I was reading, I ran across an alarming statistic that 63% of African American men will not seek help for mental situations. That was the start of my quest to end the stigma one person at a time. My first attempt at bringing awareness to our men was my men’s mental health seminar.
The interest was high, the turnout was low. At the beginning I was devastated, then I realized that the people in the room were the people who needed to get the message at that time. I began to plan the next one, but I could not figure out how to improve the last one and get people in the chairs, and panelist to participate.
I participated in two anthologies, which gave me the idea to turn my seminars into a book I began to reach out to various African American men, to see if that would like to be a part of my vision. I honestly thought I would get eight men at the most, and I would have to put filler pages into the book. I ended up with twenty-six amazing men joined the book.
Each one shared what men’s mental health means to them through the eye of an African American Male. I am so proud of what they have accomplished in helping get the word out to others that it is ok to ask for help.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Pamela Coleman is a Charlottesville, Virginia native and mental abuse survivor. Coleman took pen to paper to ease years of abuse, years of lies and secrets. Her book “is this me? Am I her?” reflects on years of abuse. In writing about her life, she hopes to help others who have gone through similar events. Coleman has written two additional books, “Finding herself, I was not her!” picks up where “Is this me?” stops. You will learn how Coleman survives being turned in to APS by her grandmother’s nursing home. Facing felony charges. Noxious is a book about love, loss and who done it. From Noxious will be a 6-book series. Coleman is an award-winning author, of the Impact Award, for her support and encouragement of others. She received the Triple Threat awards for writing and releasing three books in a year.
Coleman is passionate about men’s mental health. As a mental abuse survivor, she knows first-hand what it is like to want help and not know how to ask for it, or where to go to find it. Coleman has hosted two men’s mental awareness seminars, in Virginia and Illinois. Her goal is to have a men’s seminar in every state. She feels that men need support when it comes to mental health. Coleman states “Mental health is not just for one month, its year-round.”
Her new project is an anthology about men’s mental health through the eyes of an African American man.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1) Honesty- in work, in relationships in life being honest with others as well as yourself will help build your reputation as well as keeping things in life easier for you.
2) being open to change, sometimes we all fall into the trap of comfort and change can be difficult. if you can remain open to change and embrace it, the goals you have set for yourself can be easier to obtain.
3) self-care- learning to take care of yourself as you walk your journey is so very important. if you are not healthy in body and mind you will not be at your best.
my advice for those just starting out, I would say to enjoy the journey, do not treat it as a get rich quick. don’t give up if it doesn’t look like it is happening the way you want it too. stay consistent and as positive as you can and when the time is right all will fall into place.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
being overwhelmed can sneak up on you. I can honestly say that there have been times this year that I have been so overwhelmed that I wanted to give up and stop reaching for my goals and visions.
I have a small circle that supports and believe in what I am doing. they are my biggest cheerleaders. I have two sons that give me great support and advice. One piece of advice that my son gave me was, if what I am doing is no longer fun and it seems like a job, then it is time to stop. that is what keeps me going.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: pcoleman_author
- Facebook: Pamela Coleman
- Linkedin: pamelajamescoleman
Image Credits
Kaydoe James
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