Summer is my favorite time of year. I thrive under the sun’s warmth and it emboldens me to take risks. I teach an Addictions class where my students and I give up an addictive behavior during the 12-week course. I usually give up my daily dose of French fries or sweet desserts and beverages. But this year, I dug deep and realized that fries and sugar aren’t my problem, it’s self-sabotage. I have an uncanny ability to get close to a goal and mess it up. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a financial, fitness, or family aspiration. I will get so close to success that I can touch it but then the reward I deserve wrecks the whole plan. I have lapsed several times this summer, but I am determined to get out of my own way. What about you? What maladaptive behavior can you do without? What risks will you take to accomplish it? Follow @BlackMHToday and let me know. Thank you for taking the Reader Satisfaction Survey. There, you told us that you LOVE Black Mental Health Today magazine, and that you read most of every issue. There is not an article or column that you do not think highly of. We are happy that you strongly agree that our work enhances the work you do within Black communities, and that you are moved to action after reading each issue. Your biggest complaint is that the magazine is too short. We are confident that with readers like you, BMHT will continue to grow. Thank you for your subscription and inviting others to subscribe. I cannot wait for you to dig into this issue. In it, we examine the challenges and triumphs of teaching while Black, explore the dynamics between Black men and their mothers, illuminate radical self-care for wellness, define ethnopsychopharmacology, work to eradicate ableism, and so much more. Enjoy this issue and your summer! Sisterly, LaTonya Summers
First published in Black Mental Health Today, Summer 2023 (Vol. 8).