Racism is complex in scope because it is both a mental illness and a value. In order words, it is a valued, sheltered, and protected mental illness. One might even say it has been incubated and allowed to fester throughout the course of American history.

Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in thinking, emotion or behavior (or a combination of these). Racism meets those criteria.

Like all illnesses, it needs to be treated in order for it to be cured. The problem, is that we do not see racism as a problem, because we do not see it for what it is — an infectious disease that has been an epidemic plaguing our nation.

[see link for Racism Scale, couldn't get image to embed]If you fall below “awareness”, then this is a red flag that racism is a problem for you. If it is not a problem for you, but find that it is a problem for your family members and/or friends, then it’s time to address it or it will continue to spread throughout America.

Like alcoholism, an alcoholic cannot thrive without their enablers. It is the same white Americans who enable their relatives and friends who are racist. It is important to identify and recognize that racism is a mental illness and recommend that individual to a psychotherapist as needed.