Nikki Webber Allen: Don't suffer from your depression in silence
نيكي ويبر آلين: لا تُعانِ من اكتئابك في صمت
Nikki Webber Allen is working to create a safe space for honest conversations about mental health in communities of color. Full bio
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nothing wrong,
this overwhelming sense of doom,
just around the corner.
I wouldn't have told anybody,
أيّ شخصٍ بذلك،
extraordinary resilience to succeed.
بقوّةٍ استثنائية لأنجح.
was a sign of weakness,
علامةٌ على الضّعف،
in Media Studies
in the film and television industries.
في مجال صناعة الأفلام والتلفاز.
for my hard work.
(Emmy Awards) لعملي الجاد.
I used to enjoy,
about my diagnosis.
to be depressed.
and a successful career.
the unspeakable horrors
had been through in this country
a phone call from my mom
تلقيت فيه مكالمة من والدتي
Paul, had ended his life,
ذو الـ22 عامًا قد انتحر،
depression and anxiety.
the devastation I felt.
أن تصف الانهيار الذي شعرت به.
أنّه يمر بمثل هذه المعاناة.
to the other about our struggles.
عن معاناته إطلاقًا.
is to face it head on,
هي مواجهتها وجهًا لوجه،
researching depression and anxiety,
عن معلوماتٍ عن الاكتئاب والقلق.
of sickness and disability
للمرض والعجز في العالم.
of depression isn't clear,
للاكتئاب غير واضح،
that most mental disorders develop,
حدوث أي اضطراب نفسي،
imbalance in the brain,
genetic predisposition.
and socioeconomic disparities
والفوارق الاجتماعية والاقتصادية،
of developing a mental disorder,
للإصابة باضطرابٍ نفسيّ.
mistaking depression for a weakness.
يفهمون الاكتئاب بشكل خاطئ على أنه ضعف.
among black children
ذوي البشرة السوداء
struggling with depression will improve
من الاكتئاب سيتحسنون
a national conversation.
those tired, old narratives
ذات البشرة السوداء
they get knocked down,
التي غُلبوا فيها،
in order to fill the void.
الذاتيّة لملء الفراغ.
لمساعدة من يعانون في صمت
be suffering in silence
يمكنهم الشفاء.
yoga and a relatively healthy diet.
صحيّ نسبيًّا، بشكل يومي.
are starting to spiral,
named Dawn Armstrong,
تُدعى دون أرمسترونج،
with the lesson that I've learned.
عندما يكون لديك نظامُ دعمٍ يساعدك خلالها.
to help you through it.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nikki Webber Allen - Multimedia producerNikki Webber Allen is working to create a safe space for honest conversations about mental health in communities of color.
Why you should listen
Nikki Webber Allen is a two-time Emmy winner with 20 years of experience producing content for media outlets including Warner Bros., HBO, ABC, 20th Century Fox and BET.
In 2013, while working as the vice president of casting and talent relations for the cable network TV One, Webber Allen lost her 22-year old nephew, Paul, to suicide after his years of struggle with depression and anxiety. Since then, she's become a passionate mental health advocate.
In Paul's honor, she launched the nonprofit I LIVE FOR... FOUNDATION, INC. to create a safe space for honest, unapologetic conversations about mental health in communities of color, where the cultural stigma of mental illness discourages far too many people from seeking help. Michael Eric Dyson, advisor to the foundation, has called I LIVE FOR… "an incredibly important organization that offers much-needed support to those who too often suffer in silence."
Webber Allen is currently producing and directing a documentary film featuring a diverse group of compelling young men and women who reject the stigma of mental illness and share candid stories about their experiences living with depression and anxiety. The film is being scored by her husband, musician Jeffrey Allen of the Grammy-nominated R&B band Mint Condition.
In 2016, Webber Allen was one of only 47 people chosen out of more than 1,000 applicants worldwide to receive a coveted scholarship to Marie Forleo's B-School for social entrepreneurs. She has an M.A. in media studies from The New School University in New York, NY and a B.A. in communications from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.
Nikki Webber Allen | Speaker | TED.com