In September 2019, Adejoke Adedeji founded Nexus of Hope, a psychiatric clinic in Lakeville, Minnesota, offering a wide range of services from talk therapy to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), medication-assisted therapy, and telemedicine. are doing.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, she thought business might slow down.
She was wrong.
“As we know, many people are experiencing a lot of anxiety and stress due to the coronavirus, so things have gotten even busier,” she said.
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The psychiatric nurse practitioner said more people of color are agitating during the COVID-19 pandemic and the justice movement after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. He said he saw them having questions and looking for someone who understood them. Share cultural experiences.
Nexus of Hope founder Adejoke Adeji works at his desk in the company’s Lakeville, Minnesota, office on September 5.
Ben Hovland | MPR News
Adedeji, who was born in the United States and raised in Nigeria, says that despite progress, there are still too many people in African immigrant communities who are too stigmatized by mental health concerns to seek help. And she says even medical privacy laws can’t allay their concerns.
“They’re still concerned that things are too close to home,” she says. “So sometimes that’s not what they’re looking for. If they ask for help, they’re not looking for someone within their own culture.”
Adeji says her own experiences have helped her connect with the people she helps.
She initially went to school with plans to become a creative writer, but her plans changed after experiencing the effects of mental illness first-hand. In 2010 she lost a cousin to suicide, and later that year her youngest brother died suddenly.
“And it was very difficult for the whole community, especially because we had never faced the death of a young person before,” she said.
Uplifting messages line the walls inside Nexus of Hope’s clinic in Lakeville, Minnesota, on September 5, more than a year after the clinic moved into a new, larger building.
Ben Hovland | MPR News
Adeji said her experience quickly taught her about the lack of support in the community when it comes to suicide and illness.
Her goal was to eliminate bias by validating people’s experiences.
“And to really explore all those feelings and know that your feelings are valid and you don’t have to suppress them or hide them,” she said.
Adeji earned a master’s degree in public health from Florida International University and then a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee.
Now, she helps patients across the country find their voice and treatment plan.
Colin Skerrett, 28, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, said one of his parents is black and the other white. He says seeking treatment for addiction and anxiety has not been an easy journey.
“To be honest, the method is [Adedeji] “They were able to understand me, and having a background that was different from traditional American education was very helpful,” he said. “There were a lot of similarities in my daily life, which at the time were really a big issue, but she was able to understand and appreciate them.”
Olusola Olukoga, 28, has also struggled with anxiety and depression for years. For Olukoga, who was born in Nigeria, the COVID-19 pandemic was her breaking point, she said. Her struggles with mental health have left her feeling ashamed for years, but she says finding a Nigerian therapist has been liberating for her treatment.
The transcranial magnetic stimulator, pictured Sept. 5 at the Nexus of Hope clinic in Lakeville, Minnesota, uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells.
Ben Hovland | MPR News
“There were many times when I almost lost my life because of shame because I didn’t choose to seek proper help,” Olukoga said.But like a pro, it got me so much more than that [Adedeji] Someday you’ll understand. ”
Olukoga said the special moment when she first met Adedeji convinced her that she had found the right therapist. She said it was when Adediji was open and honest about her own mental health journey, including taking medication and going to therapy.
Olukoga said this helped ease her fears about seeking psychiatric treatment.
“Maybe they’re using me for some kind of experiment? Just having fun? But I don’t know if she helps people and asks for help herself when she needs it.” The fact that I am not afraid,” Olukoga said.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, people of color are less likely to receive mental health services than white people. In 2021, only 39.4 percent of Black or African American people with mental illness received treatment, compared to 47.2 percent of U.S. adults overall.
Adejoke Adeji demonstrates the TMS device at a clinic on September 5th. Used to treat symptoms of depression, OCD, and smoking cessation.
Ben Hovland | MPR News
In 2022, the state Legislature passed a bill aimed at building and reforming the mental health care system. Among them: creating a subsidy program for mental health providers who have at least 25 percent of their clients covered by public insurance or sliding fee scales and who primarily serve underrepresented communities; Bill included.
Lawmakers also enacted a policy establishing a juvenile court guardianship system for at-risk youth.
Adediji knows that people who think their health care provider is empathetic to their background and cultural differences are more likely to seek help.
“I’m not saying there’s going to be a quick fix or a silver bullet,” she says. “But what can I do today to alleviate that suffering? For some, it’s medicine. For others, it’s direction. For some, it normalizes their experience and helps me understand why I’m here.” Just let them know you’re there.”
According to the latest National Alliance on Mental Illness report, 3 in 10 adults will experience symptoms of anxiety or depression in February 2022, compared to 1 in 10 adults in January 2019. Reporting.
The report also marks 2022 as a mental health milestone with the launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or considering suicide, please contact us by calling or texting 988. Lifeline for suicide and crisis.
