Issa Rae Weighs In On Making Therapy A Top Priority In Her Life

If you're sick, the next most logical thing to do is see a doctor. But when we're faced with a malady of the mind, we're told to put on our big girl panties and get over it. How, Sway? For some reason, symptoms of the flu far outweigh the symptoms of a mental breakdown when it comes to our urgency in seeking professional help and I, for one, think this way of thinking is ass-backwards and Issa Rae agrees with me.

In a recent episode of The Read, Kid Fury and Crissle West sat down with the 34-year-old entertainer, who shared exactly why therapy is a top priority in her life. According to Issa, their podcast was largely what inspired her to attend her first session:

"I know y'all get this all the time, but you guys having conversations about therapy and mental health really got me thinking about it because I don't consider myself troubled necessarily. But being in this industry, there's just a lot that I don't say. There's a lot that I take on. There's a lot that I sweep under the rug that I think is just normal––that you're supposed to do."

Issa went on to explain that after some reflection, she realized that her repression was generational. After watching both her mother and her grandmother struggle with superwoman syndrome, she ultimately adopted the same mentality.

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

"And I think specifically as a Black woman, I watched my mom do it. I watched my grandmother do it. It's just, you take it on and you're just like, that's life and you don't want to burden other people with your problems. And so you guys talked about it all the time and it just made me feel like, 'Oh, I should go.'"

The Insecure star explained that she ultimately made the decision to go to therapy as an act of self-care because nobody can give more f*cks about you than you can.

"And I think the first time I finally made the time to go was just last year. I did three little sessions and I fucked with it. But it is important to not necessarily go because you think something's wrong, but you should if you're in an industry like this, prioritize it because nobody else will. And that's what I've learned just throughout my journey here."

Issa warned that while the people around you may mean well, ultimately, your healing is your responsibility and your responsibility only.

"It's like, oh, nobody gives a f*ck about you. Like you're just a ticket for, you know, the next project or you're a check a to-do list item for you, for them. And it's not necessarily, they're not worried about how you're doing. They don't care about how you're doing. They mean well, but nobody really cares. So it's only on you to make sure that you're good."

To watch the full clip, click below!

Issa Rae Talks 'Raedio' and Prioritizing Therapy (Extended Cut) | The Read with Kid Fury and Crisslewww.youtube.com

Featured image by Getty Images

Did you know that xoNecole has a podcast? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to join us for weekly convos over cocktails (without the early morning hangover.)