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Rediscovering A Dope Black Girl With Anxiety

Hello, hello, hello!

It is I, Bri, aka A Dope Black Girl With Anxiety, coming to you with a refreshed look and sharing the epiphanies I’ve had in the last few months. 

Life has a funny way of throwing curveballs, especially when you’re wired a little differently. If you’ve been around for a while - then you know that I started tackling my mental health in my thirties. This journey is still in that awkward child phase, you know, that space where you’re trying to find your identity, tackle hormones, and your parents are starting to get on your nerves. I use this analogy because in your beginning stages of healing and learning - it’s a lot like that. You’re trying to find out your triggers, find spaces that make you happy, cleanse yourself from some toxic traits, and heal your inner child while your personal development is the age of a newly enrolled kindergartner.

When you pair this with life that stops for no one, you step back and realize that you’re trying to maintain balance while raising kids, loving your partner, advancing (or, in my case, trying to restart) your career, and adjusting to the reality of having elderly parents. And the truth with no chaser… it fucking sucks.

Originally, I thought my reentry piece would be a walk of shame for starting over —again. But honestly, I’m not embarrassed.

In fact, I now understand that I’m not alone in feeling like the “late bloomer” and that we are struggling as a collective.

I could sum up the struggle as the norms of living on the ghetto called Earth. Still, I would like to give a specific shoutout to a few things that make my soul itch:

• Healthcare (and lack of compassion for black mothers)

• Inflation (why does formula cost $50+ and remember when the Kellogg CEO told us to replace a meal with cereal - like a box of it wasn’t $8 or more?! UGH!)

• The job market (from being completely unstable to non-livable wages…trash!)

• Still a lack of mental health resources and transparency

• The uptick in racism (because it never went away, but I definitely see the trend)

• Did I say healthcare?!

Many of us have been code-switching through various situational instances to the point where it has become second nature. We have embraced a hustle culture that gives little to no room for rest and competes with an often unrealistic social media aesthetic. We’re surviving off caffeine and vibes, praying that no one will see us crack. But even the best versions of the prototype (...yes, I’m speaking on millennials - debate this with someone else) break down. So here we are, learning to prioritize our needs in a way our parents never did (or could), set boundaries, break generational curses, and most importantly, actively seek answers to why we never felt… normal…

… and while the above may not apply to everyone reading this, I figure that most of you follow me for a reason beyond content creation and gaming. I often notice that our journeys intertwine, and there’s comfort in that—in feeling like you’re not the only one blindly navigating life.

I believe in embracing authenticity, and with that comes transparency.

To be completely transparent, the last year has been challenging. I had a baby, and I almost lost my life in the process. That weighs on you. You find yourself thinking back on your life and wondering if you left this earth tuhday, what would people remember you for? And even now, I’m not sure what it would be exactly.

I created A Dope Black Girl With Anxiety to be a living, breathing space for the trials and tribulations of somebody who is fighting through the fog. Despite my mental health and neuro divergencies, I have been able to experience and accomplish great things. I often find myself falling into the trap of imposter syndrome and I fear that I’ve become way too comfortable with failure and terrified by success. However, this is me holding myself accountable for staying focused on my calling and journey for greater things.

So, with that out of the way - let me tell you what to expect on a weekly basis!

For starters, your girl is officially a #BigCreatxr! This amazing Cxmmunity supports content creators like myself who push themselves to be seen and find their tribe. So what does this mean? More access to tools, accountability partners, and yes - consistency.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Weekly newsletters (for more information on the topics, view my about page).

• Note updates (way shorter than the weekly posts - quick shares such as current reads, week in a glance with a few photos, and my new mechanical keyboard!)

• Monthly journal prompts to use on your own or…

• …journal and cowork with me during my live sessions via Twitch, starting in May! Feel free to follow me now :-)

If you want to connect with me directly, you can always find me on Twitter or slide into my DMs (respectfully, of course!)

I hope you enjoy your time here and until later - peace, love!