Living with Family Trauma: Stories of Loss, Mental Illness, and Healing in Black Communities

Family trauma doesn’t just affect one person — it ripples through generations, shaping identities, relationships, and opportunities for healing.

In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Trony Small shares his family’s story of growing up in Milwaukee with poverty, discrimination, and loss. After the death of his mother, Trony and his brothers faced instability, grief, and stigma that made conversations about mental health nearly impossible. When his youngest brother Justin was later diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the family struggled to navigate a system with limited resources and cultural barriers to care. Justin’s death by suicide at 23 left a lasting impact and inspired Trony to help other families facing similar challenges.

This moving conversation highlights the intersections of family trauma, racial inequities, and mental health stigma—and reminds us that storytelling, advocacy, and community support are vital parts of healing.

Link to video with more information: https://www.facebook.com/2016557181923354/posts/2948490168730046/?d=n

MHA of WI's Next Step Clinic: http://www.mhawisconsin.org/mha-wi-counseling-clinic

Primary Topics Covered:

• The impact of family trauma and silence on mental health
• Growing up with poverty, discrimination, and systemic inequities
• Coping with the loss of a parent at a young age
• How stigma and cultural silence affect conversations about mental illness
• A brother’s struggle with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and suicide
• The role of NAMI and education in understanding mental illness
• Barriers to accessing quality mental health care in underserved communities
• Turning grief into advocacy and support for other families

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction: family trauma and mental health
 01:31 – How trauma shaped Trony’s childhood and family dynamics
 02:27 – Growing up in Milwaukee amid poverty and discrimination
 03:42 – The loss of his mother and its lasting impact
 05:00 – Prayer and silence instead of open discussions about trauma
 06:05 – Writing poetry as a way to process pain
 07:22 – How Justin, the youngest brother, was most deeply affected
 08:12 – Early signs of mental illness and the family’s struggles to respond
 09:12 – Learning through NAMI about schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
 10:40 – Justin’s diagnosis and challenges navigating treatment
 11:34 – His death by suicide at 23
 12:03 – The importance of family and community support
 13:06 – Systemic barriers to mental health care for Black families
 14:39 – Trony’s advocacy and mission to help other families
 15:22 – Closing reflections on healing and change

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