Featured ENDOSister: Shakira O'Garro
Shakira from the Boogie Down Bronx
When Shakira was in her sophomore year of high school, she knew that she’d be going into counseling, therapy, or psychology. With her mother being from Huger, SC, and her Dad being from the Bronx, NY, neither of them knew what her future would hold. They were fearful for her because of the stigma that has existed around mental illness. In the Black Community, for so many, mental illness is downplayed, but most commonly, ignored. According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population.
Media also played a significant part in the misconceptions behind mental illness and people who are affected by it. Still, Shakira persisted, and now she is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Though she has accomplished much, she sees herself becoming a Psychologist and expanding The Healing Spirit Counseling. She's also decided to get involved in combatting the stigma of mental health in the African American community.
The mental health industry has been diversified somewhat by expanding with podcasts like Therapy for Black Girls, but it is just the beginning. Shakira believes with more public awareness and mentorship of people of color looking to become counselors, we can truly make an impact in mental health disparities in access to quality care in America and beyond.
“Gynecology was founded on the exploitation of black faces.”
Like many of us that struggle with Endometriosis, Shakira knows all too well the difficulties of seeking treatment and navigating the medical system. Shakira started exhibiting symptoms of endometriosis at the age of 11, and had gone to the emergency room more times she could count. In her late twenties, she knew something was wrong because she started to experience chronic pelvic pain off of her menstrual cycle. After going through several gynecologists, ultrasounds and MRIs, one gynecologist took her pain seriously and performed a laparoscopy. Diagnosed with Stage 4 endo on March 9th, 2018, four days before her 29th birthday, she had already been down a long road of confusion and mishaps.
Though she’d finally got a diagnosis, the journey had just begun.
While speaking with her therapist, she was able to put things into some perspective, understanding that race didn't just play a part with mental health but also her psychical health. As the interview went on, we were buried in the dialogue of telling our own stories and dissecting the racial disparities embedded in the medical field. ”Gynecology was founded on the exploitation of black faces” Shakira said. J. Marion Sims, better known as the "father of modern gynecology," was guilty of conducting surgical experiments on enslaved black women without anesthesia. Because of this, she believes there's a tradition of pain in medicine and a large population of doctors serving us but don't understand the impact of this history. Additionally, through her own experiences she feels that our pain isn’t believed and that doctors are less likely to do interventions that could help African American women. According to Period Power, a 2012 review of Endometriosis research found that only two articles were devoted to Endometriosis in Black Women. They were published in 1975 and 1976 and found that black women with Endometriosis tended to be incorrectly diagnosed with a Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) — a sexually transmitted infection.
Because of this experience, Shakira isn't just a regular Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), but she's experienced struggles with endometriosis and adenomyosis, allowing her to support women who have endometriosis, adenomyosis, and other women’s reproductive diseases and chronic illnesses. For about an hour Shakira and I discussed her goals for The Healing Spirit Counseling, the racial disparities within gynecology and mental health, growing up with endometriosis, sizeism, medications and birth control, discussing the Black Community’s perception of mental illness and more. Read below.
ENDO Black: Can you share with us how your life has changed with your endo diagnosis?
Shakira O'Garra: My life has been in shambles to be perfectly honest. First, I was just in pain, and I was confused because I didn’t know why, and then I found out why, had a short relief after my surgery and then I started Lupron four months after my surgery. And when I tell you that drug has heavily impacted my life, it has heavily impacted my life! I was on it for three months; I still have joint and muscle pain, little bit of brain fog and my hormones are imbalanced.
Speaking on how she felt after the surgery:
SG: Having a surgery, having the pain return 3 months later, starting Lupron and then having a whole host of other symptoms on top of the chronic pain was tough to deal with it. I did not have much relief after surgery since he ablated much of my endo.
The doctors I have encountered, and the experience I’ve had has been horrible as well. When I think about factors that contribute to it I think being overweight and a woman of color definitely skewed the level of care I received. There’s a lot of sizeism in gynecology and medicine as a whole. So, a lot of times, my symptoms are attributed to my size, rather than the two real diseases I’m struggling with.
What is your own experience with mental health and endometriosis?
SG: I feel having been on Lupron, one of the side effects was this crushing depression. I’ve never felt that way before in my life. I’ve been in therapy with a really good therapist for many years now, just to keep myself grounded and to help me process the trauma that I hear as a clinician myself. But she came in handy to really help me process my experience of trying to seek treatment for endo and the side effects from Lupron and how it was affecting my mood and physical health. I think it’s extremely important to seek out your own practitioner if you are dealing with a chronic illness that causes chronic pain like endo and adeno.
Can you go into detail about the goals you have for The Healing Spirit Counseling?
SG: The Healing Spirit Counseling is a dream come true for me! But I also have a lot of other dreams! I want to provide advocacy for women with endometriosis and adenomyosis. I also want to have support groups, and information on hand, like “how do I apply for an appeal to Medicaid so they can pay for my laparoscopy?” things like that. I want my core clientele to be cis and transitioning (female to male) women with Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, PCOS, and others types of reproductive disease or chronic illness.
In a recent ENDO Black Survey, we asked 350 women did they see a therapist. Out of 350 women, 66% said that either they rarely went or they didn't go at all. What are your thoughts about this?
SG: I feel like everyone’s experience is different with endo so this may be me speaking from my own experience. But I feel like when you’ve been from one office to another, from one doctor to another and they’re telling you that you’re crazy you start to feel crazy. I feel like the motivation to go would be low. Being hopeful you’ll meet a Mental Health Practitioner who is going to understand and validate what you’re going through without labeling you as crazy is hard for people to fathom.
Although I think the result is shocking, it definitely makes sense given the average experience of women with endo. If I didn’t have a relationship with my own therapist prior to diagnosis, I probably wouldn’t seek mental health care either. I mean, there are Gynecologists that screen for mental illness before they even see you for pelvic pain. That’s one part of the problem. Endo and other reproductive diseases play off of each other. Your mental state does affect your level of physical pain and vice versa. But this relationship is often over looked and emphasized in one direction over the other (i.e.: your pain is not real pain, you are just depressed). I don’t blame these women who don’t seek counseling; especially if they’ve had a hard time navigating the medical system. But have hope! There are good clinicians out there who want to support you!
“Black Mental Health is almost like a collective of traumatic experiences that we’ve had to survive through and make sense of with little or no help from others. ”
When it comes to Black women, especially, what are your thoughts on their mental health?
SG: Well, I feel like Black Mental Health is almost like a collective of traumatic experiences that we’ve had to survive through and make sense of with little or no help from others. Of course, when you’ve had to be strong and set boundaries and protect yourself, you’re going to be perceived as a ‘bitch, arrogant or unapproachable ‘because that’s how we’ve had to cope with our life experiences. There’s also a tradition of suffering; especially suffering in silence or feeling achievement or mastery in being able to tolerate pain by constantly being strong.
Here are some tips for people that are struggling with setting boundaries and focusing on your mental health:
Take hold of your identity!
It’s important to take hold of your own identity. Be secure in who you are.
Fight unhealthy patterns of thinking and beliefs.
It’s important to fight unhealthy patterns of thinking and beliefs. For example, the belief that we have to be strong at all times. We’re strong, we’re beautiful, we’re great but at the same time, it’s okay to take a break, it’s okay to be weak, it’s okay to be disorganized, and it’s okay not to be perfect.
Check-in with yourself.
When you’re having a hard time, ask yourself what do I need at this moment? Do I need a break from work? Do I need a “me” day? Do I need time to spend with my family?
How would you encourage other women who have endometriosis that is interested in becoming a Licensed Mental Health Counselor?
SG: I think there is something about psychology that people feel is untouchable. They feel like you have to be perfect or always have it together to be a great therapist. But I’ll tell you what, if you have some type of experience, like you’ve been suffering with depression, anxiety, or even Endometriosis, all your experiences can be used to build rapport and understanding with more clients. So, if you want to go into Mental Health Counseling, Social Work or Psychology to be a therapist to women, men or whatever population you want to work with, always remember that who you are and your experiences can really be healing for someone else to hear or see.
The field is growing; there are so many jobs out there; there are so many different people that need help. So, if that’s what you want to do, do it. Don’t focus on what you don’t have; focus on what you do have and what you’ve been through because that's going to serve you a lot as a therapist.
Tell us about The Healing Spirit Counseling! All the information is helpful.
I’m interested in offering opportunities for others to grow by providing free supervision, and mentor-ship to Mental Health Counselors with or without a limited permit.
The Healing Spirit Counseling is located in North White Plains, NY. I am currently expanding my practice to accommodate people with different schedules. Be on the look out for a second practice location as soon as October 2019.
Tele- Counseling Services are also available throughout the entire country.
*Exclusions may apply based on insurance coverage and regulations.
Hours:
Friday’s - 4pm to 9pm
Saturday’s - 8am to 4pm
Sunday’s - Group Counseling at 5:30 pm*
*More business hours at a 2nd location in Westchester County starting in October 2019.
Instagram for The Healing Spirit Counseling: : @thehealingspiritcounseling
Facebook for The Healing Spirit Counseling: https://www.facebook.com/healingspiritcounseling
Personal Blog link (Wordpress): https://kiraendolifestyle.home.blog/
Facebook for Personal Blog: https://www.facebook.com/EndoSoldierKira