Episode 21: Let’s talk psych meds: Racism in Psychiatry and the Process of Finding a Psychiatrist w/ Dr. Kimberly Gordon-Achebe, Jayde & Zen

Nov 6

April 29, 2021

Show Notes

In this second installment about taking psychiatric medication on Students of Mind, Jayde invites Dr. Kimberly Gordon-Achebe to add her experience as a Black psychiatrist and how racism shows up in psychiatry to the discussion. Dr. Kimberly Gordon-Achebe is a Double board certified adult, child & adolescent psychiatrist, Health Equity consultant and public speaker. She talks about how racism is present on a systematic level and how it can often show up on an individual level: between provider and patient and between mental health professional peers. Jayde and Dr. Kimberly Gordon-Achebe also talk about the history of psychiatry and why there is a mistrust of doctors in the Black community as well as the importance of psychiatrists being culturally competent.

In the second half of the episode, Jayde is interviewed by Zen about her own personal journey taking psychiatric meds. Jayde shares an in-depth account of what it was like taking meds as a child and how she has learned to navigate the American medical system. She shares her raw and honest thoughts about medication and where she is at with them today.