Episode 14: Hakim Asadi: Healing Out Loud

We'd love to hear from youStrength doesn’t have to mean silence. If you’ve ever pushed through a health scare, family pressure, or daily stress while telling yourself you’re “fine,” this conversation puts real words to what’s happening underneath.We sit down with Hakeem Asadi, a licensed social worker, speaker, and facilitator who works closely with Black men across prostate cancer support, HIV care, substance use recovery, and community settings. Together, we unpack why mental and emotional wellness often gets treated like an emergency only, and how a simple shift in language can reduce mental health stigma. When “therapy” feels loaded, words like support, mental fitness, and coaching can open the door to getting help without shame.We discuss the grief that comes with diagnosis, treatment, and recovery; the “strong Black man” narrative that rewards emotional suppression; and why anger is often a secondary emotion hiding pain, fear, or exhaustion. We also talk about social determinants of health, including how your zip code, environment, and exposure to violence shape trauma responses over time. Then we explore survivor’s guilt, reframing it as empathy and compassion, and we challenge the idea that healing means abandoning your people.We end with practical takeaways on building emotional literacy, creating a new normal that holds both grief and joy, and forming a real support team through friends, faith spaces, barbershops, and support groups. If this resonates, subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more Black men can find these mental health and wellness conversations.#wellbeing#mentalandemotional wellness#therapy#buildingcommunity@hakimasadiPromote my new consolidated website: grantleymartelly,com Bad Science: Changes in politics and ideology do not change our need to be vigilant.Support the showBecome a Supporter: Click here to become a supporter.Comments are welcome: [email protected] a Sponsor, send us an email.Rating: Leave a rating on your podcast listening site.Follow on Instagram: realhealthblackmen #realhealthblackmen#blackmenshealth#menshealth#blackmen#blackhealth#prostatecancer#mentalhealth