Black and Diagnosed

About Black and Diagnosed

What happens when the 'Strong Black Person' mask finally cracks? Welcome to Black and Diagnosed, a soulful sanctuary where we navigate the complexities of mental health, neurodivergence, and disability within the Black community. Hosted by Gerron Scott, this podcast moves beyond clinical definitions to uncover the lived reality of what it actually means to be Black and diagnosed in a world that wasn't built for our healing. Each week, we step into the garden to pull back the weeds and rediscover our soil. We’re going deep into the conversations we usually have in whispers: • Depression & Anxiety: Beyond the "Strong Black Person" trope—unmasking the heaviness and finding the courage to exhale. • ADHD & Neurodivergence: Reclaiming our focus in a world that often mislabels our brilliance as "behavioral issues". • Bipolar Disorder: Navigating the highs, the lows, and the sacred work of finding a stable middle ground. • The Identity Shift: Unlearning the shame of a diagnosis to embrace a new, empowered way of seeing ourselves and our heritage. • And Everything In Between: From the complexities of trauma and PTSD to the daily work of protecting our peace in a world that challenges it. We cover the diagnoses with names, and the feelings that don't have them yet. Through intimate solo reflections and deep-dive interviews with those walking the path, we explore the discovery, the struggle, and the specific tools we use to thrive. Whether you are currently "in the fog" or looking for the words to describe your experience, you aren't alone here. Follow the show on Instagram @blackanddiagnosed and the host @gdotscott. Pull up a chair. Take a breath. Welcome to the garden.

Publisher

Gerron Scott

Category

health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

5 Mar 2026

Latest episode

4 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

26 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Nov 2026

   Slander as Love? Corporate PTSD, Post-College Burnout, and the Pressure Cooker of Black Greek Life with Josh Yarbrough

   What happens when academic titles, professional accolades, and high achievement are used as armor to conceal internal depression and anxiety? How do young Black men transition from the intense camaraderie of college life into soul-crushing corporate environments without losing their identity? In Part 1 of this expansive two-part conversation on the Black and Diagnosed Podcast, host Gerron Scott connects with long-time friend Josh Yarbrough—an English professor at Atlanta Technical College and Georgia State University, currently completing his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Together, they unmask the emotional realities of post-college burnout, creative expression, sports obsession, and Black Greek culture. Josh breaks down his MFA thesis novel: a whodunit murder mystery centered on an HBCU college football program where a legendary head coach is killed two weeks before a landmark season. He explores why sports hold a "death grip" on the cultural zeitgeist, examining how fans tie their mental states and local pride to athletic competition. Shifting into the darkness of early adulthood, Josh reflects on his late-20s depression while working in mortgage default operations—a "boogeyman" job taking families' homes that left him with corporate PTSD and stripped away his internal confidence. Gerron and Josh also dissect the mask of high achievement. Gerron shares how he used suit-and-tie professionalism, degrees, and organizational success to mask his internal depression, OCD, and bipolar disorder. They contrast Josh’s upbringing surrounded by Black excellence in Atlanta with Gerron’s experience growing up in an impoverished Rhode Island neighborhood where Black success felt entirely out of reach. Closing out Part 1, the pair revisits their shared history crossing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at the University of West Georgia, analyzing the fine line between "iron sharpening iron," "slander as love," and toxic hyper-masculinity. 🔍 Key Topics Unmasked * 📚 Crafting an HBCU Sports Mystery: Josh shares the framework of his MFA thesis novel, contrasting commercial thriller pacing with literary fiction and Southern Gothic tropes. * 🏈 The Psychology of Sports Obsession: Why sports fandom, NIL deals, and sports betting hold an intense emotional grip on personal identity and masculinity. * 🏢 Corporate PTSD & Repossession Work: Josh recalls working in mortgage default operations, collecting $100,000 debts, and losing his confidence "fastball" during late-20s depression. * 🪞 Achievement as an Emotional Shield: Gerron unmasks how Black men frequently leverage professional milestones, suits, and titles to hide severe mental health struggles. * 🏙️ Environmental Perceptions of Black Excellence: Comparing Josh's life in Atlanta's Black middle-class neighborhoods to Gerron’s upbringing in Rhode Island, where Black success was rarely visible. * 🤙🏾 The Pressure Cooker of Black Greek Life: Unpacking the early charter days of the Tau Chi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha—navigating "slander is love," heavy drinking culture, and hyper-masculine standards. Join the Conversation 🌿 The garden is always growing, and your voice belongs here. We are actively seeking stories from individuals with lived neurodivergent experiences and mental health practitioners to help us continuously take off the mask. * Follow the Journey: Connect with us on Instagram @blackanddiagnosed and @gdotscott for daily rhythmic reflections. * Get in Touch: For guest inquiries, professional collaborations, or clinician recruitment, email us directly at info@gerronscott.com (mailto:info@gerronscott.com). Hit that subscribe button on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream your pods.

2. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Housing First, Healing Always: Permanent Supportive Housing, Gentrification, and Unmasking Mental Illness with Courtney Fields

   What does it truly take to move someone from chronic homelessness into permanent stability when severe mental illness is part of the equation? How do federal guidelines, gentrification, and corporate landlords impact society's most vulnerable populations? In this episode of the Black and Diagnosed Podcast, host Gerron Scott sits down with Courtney Fields, Program Supervisor for a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) initiative based in Richmond, Virginia. Together, they unmask the intricate reality of supportive housing, federal bureaucracies, and the critical importance of extending radical grace to those living with severe mental illness. Courtney shares how she maintains her own mental wellness through a creative community scavenger hunt—painting ceramic clay sculptures with QR codes and hiding them across Richmond for finders to discover and document. She then pulls back the curtain on her professional work, explaining the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines that define chronic homelessness (requiring 12 consecutive months of unsheltered living) and Serious Mental Illness (SMI). The conversation dives deep into the Housing First model, contrasting it with punitive "Treatment First" mandates. Courtney details the frontline work of Continuum of Care outreach teams, the challenges of cap-restricted federal subsidies ($1,500/month) in rapidly gentrifying rental markets, and the extraordinary case management required to keep clients housed. From negotiating keyless code locks to advocating for a client who believed throwing neighborhood trash was "blessing the community," Courtney illustrates how creative accommodations save lives. Gerron and Courtney also confront the moral stigma surrounding homelessness, pharmaceutical price gouging, and the power of permanent, life-long housing solutions. 🔍 Key Topics Unmasked * 🎨 Scavenger Hunts as Self-Care: How Courtney paints ceramic clay sculptures, attaches QR codes, and hides them across Richmond as a creative outlet and restorative mental health practice.\ * 🏚️ Defining Chronic Homelessness & SMI: Navigating strict federal HUD guidelines requiring 12 months of living in unsheltered conditions (cars, abandoned buildings, forests) and specific diagnoses (bipolar, schizophrenia, PTSD) to qualify for supportive housing. * 🔑 Housing First vs. Treatment First: Why securing immediate, permanent shelter is a necessary prerequisite for mental health stability, doctor visits, and sobriety. * 🏢 Gentrification & Federal Rent Caps: The widening gap between fixed federal subsidies ($1,500 max for a one-bedroom) and skyrocketing corporate rent prices in gentrified cities like Richmond and Petersburg. * 🛡️ Creative Landlord Advocacy & Accommodations: Case managers extending grace by installing code locks for lost keys, double-paned windows, and reframing delusions (such as "blessing the community" with trash) into supportive, structured solutions. * 🏛️ Threats to Permanent Supportive Housing: Policy shifts threatening to defund long-term, life-long supportive housing in favor of rigid, short-term treatment mandates. Join the Conversation 🌿 The garden is always growing, and your voice belongs here. We are actively seeking stories from individuals with lived neurodivergent experiences and mental health practitioners to help us continuously take off the mask. * Follow the Journey: Connect with us on Instagram @blackanddiagnosed and @gdotscott for daily rhythmic reflections. * Get in Touch: For guest inquiries, professional collaborations, or clinician recruitment, email us directly at info@gerronscott.com (mailto:info@gerronscott.com). Hit that subscribe button on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream your pods.

3. 

   7 Oct 2026

   In the Trenches: Black Youth, Medical Bias, and Humanizing Psychiatric Care with Qua

   What actually happens inside a behavioral health facility when the doors close, and who is standing in the gap for Black youth when the medical system fails them? In this eye-opening episode of the Black and Diagnosed Podcast, host Gerron Scott sits down with Qua, a dedicated Behavioral Health Technician and aspiring pediatric psychiatric nurse working on the frontlines of high-acuity adolescent care. Together, they take off the clinical mask to expose the unspoken realities of inpatient mental health treatment, human-centered care, and systemic racial disparities. Qua breaks down the essential role of Behavioral Health Techs—the "glue" of psychiatric facilities who facilitate daily life, run music therapy groups, and de-escalate crisis moments long before a doctor steps into the room. She pushes back against popular media stereotypes that paint inpatient facilities as chaotic or punishment-driven, explaining that many patients simply need a safe harbor to adjust to new medications or process sudden grief. The conversation turns raw as Qua exposes the sharp medical biases Black youth face in inpatient settings. She details how Black adolescents—frequently mislabeled as "bad" or "aggressive" due to unaddressed ADHD or trauma—are far more likely to receive Emergency Treatment Orders (ETOs/chemical restraints) than their white peers, who are often given behavioral plans and grace. Qua and Gerron also tackle parental projection, the power of active listening over "talking at" teenagers, and why basic human decency—like giving a patient a hug or taking vitals without gloves—can restore a young person's sense of dignity. 🔍 Key Topics Unmasked * 🏥 The Unsung Role of Behavioral Health Techs: How techs serve as the primary observers, advocates, and relationship-builders in inpatient units, bridging the gap between patients, nurses, and psychiatrists. * 🛑 Dismantling Inpatient Care Stigmas: Reframing psychiatric facilities from places of fear to safe sanctuaries where patients receive temporary refuge, med adjustments, and community. * ⚖️ Racial Disparities in Emergency Treatment Orders (ETOs): Qua details how medical staff often label larger Black youth as "threats" and resort to chemical sedation over de-escalation and behavior plans. * 🏷️ Mislabeling Black Youth in Schools: How symptoms of ADHD, Autism, or trauma in Black children are routinely miscategorized as "bad behavior," driving them into punitive pipelines rather than clinical care. * 📜 Understanding Involuntary Holds (Baker Act): The mechanics of 72-hour holds, school-initiated Baker Acts, and the critical transition from inpatient stay to voluntary outpatient maintenance. * 🪞 Parental Projection vs. Active Listening: Why parents must stop projecting their fears onto teenagers, stop "talking at" them, and start listening to their emotional reality without judgment. * 🤝 Human-Centered Psychiatric Nursing: Qua's approach to restoring dignity—from hugging patients to running "Girl World" and music therapy groups. Join the Conversation 🌿 The garden is always growing, and your voice belongs here. We are actively seeking stories from individuals with lived neurodivergent experiences and mental health practitioners to help us continuously take off the mask. * Follow the Journey: Connect with us on Instagram @blackanddiagnosed and @gdotscott for daily rhythmic reflections. * Get in Touch: For guest inquiries, professional collaborations, or clinician recruitment, email us directly at info@gerronscott.com (mailto:info@gerronscott.com). Hit that subscribe button on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream your pods.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.