Nikki Webber Allen: Don't suffer from your depression in silence
نیکی ویبەر ئالێن: بەبێ دەنگی ناخت بە خەمۆکی ئازار مەدە
Nikki Webber Allen is working to create a safe space for honest conversations about mental health in communities of color. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
nothing wrong,
this overwhelming sense of doom,
ناخۆشە لام دروست دەبێت،
just around the corner.
گۆشەیەک خۆی دەشارێتەوە.
بە دەست دڵەڕاوکێ و
یەک کەس لە هەمان کاتدا بەربڵاوە.
I wouldn't have told anybody,
و نەمدەویست خەڵک بەم حاڵەتەم بزانێت،
ئامادەبووانێکی لەم چەشنە.
extraordinary resilience to succeed.
شاڕاوەکان بۆ سەرکەوتنم بدەم.
was a sign of weakness,
خەمۆکی کە خاڵی لاوازییە،
میدیاییدا بەدەست هێنابوو
in Media Studies
هێنانەکانی تەلەڤیزۆندا هەبوو.
in the film and television industries.
for my hard work.
ئەم کۆششە زۆرەم بەدەست هێنا.
بۆ ئەم کارە تەرخان کرد،
I used to enjoy,
لە چێژوەرگرتن ڕاهاتبووم،
دانی پێدابنێم
about my diagnosis.
to be depressed.
and a successful career.
پیشەیەکی سەرکەوتوو هەبوو
بێ ئەندازانەی کە باوباپیرانمان
the unspeakable horrors
had been through in this country
دا تێپەڕییون دەکردەوە،
بەڵام،
زیاتر پەرەی دەسەند
بێ هیوایان بکەم؟
بە دەست چییەوە دەناڵێنم.
a phone call from my mom
دایکمەوە پەیوەندیم پێوە کرا
Paul, had ended his life,
ساڵانەکەم، پاش چەند ساڵێک
depression and anxiety.
خەمۆکی کۆتایی بەژیانی هێناوە.
دەروونییەم بکات کە هەستم پێی دەکرد.
the devastation I felt.
لەیەکەوە نزیک بووین،
ئازارێکی زۆر بێت.
to the other about our struggles.
بە نەهامەتیەکانمان نەدەکرد.
is to face it head on,
نەهامەتیانە بکەم کە ڕووبەروویان دەبمەوە،
خەمۆکی و دڵەڕاوکێوە تەرخان کرد
researching depression and anxiety,
of sickness and disability
هۆکاری نەخۆشی و لاوازییە
of depression isn't clear,
that most mental disorders develop,
زۆرینەی ئەوانەی نەخۆشی مێشکیان هەیە،
imbalance in the brain,
genetic predisposition.
and socioeconomic disparities
و جیاکاری ئابووری و کۆمەڵایەتی
of developing a mental disorder,
بە نەخۆشیەکانی مێشک زیاد دەکات.
ئەمریکییە سپی پێستەکان
تەندروستی مێشکدا دەگەڕێن.
mistaking depression for a weakness.
لەوە تێگەیشتوون خەمۆکی هۆکاری لاوازییە.
among black children
منداڵە ڕەش پێستەکان
ڕابردوو دوو ئەوەندە بووە.
struggling with depression will improve
دەست خەمۆکیەوە دەناڵێنن بە چارەسەری سروشتی
لە خەمۆکی ڕزگاریان دەبێت.
a national conversation.
گفتوگۆی نێونەتەوەیی.
those tired, old narratives
لەسەر نیشتووانەی
دەکات دوور بکەوینەوە،
they get knocked down,
in order to fill the void.
پڕ کردنەوەی ئەم بەتأل بوونەی ناخمان.
بە کراوەیی باس دەکەم،
قسە بکەن.
be suffering in silence
لە بێدەنگی ئازار دەچێژت
تا بزانن تەنها نین.
ڕۆژانە، یۆگا
yoga and a relatively healthy diet.
تەندرستیم بەسەری دا زاڵبم.
بەرەو ئاڵۆزبوون دەچن
are starting to spiral,
named Dawn Armstrong,
بە ناوی دوان ئارمسترۆنگ،
with the lesson that I've learned.
بتوانم بۆ کەسانی تر ڕوون بکەمەوە.
بۆ تێپەڕبوون بەم ناخۆشیە هەبێت.
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