Depression After Divorce

Hello Pusher,

“My name is Shawn Fleming. I live in Toulouse, France. I'm originally from St.James, SXM and today I decided to open up about my depression after divorce."

How long have you married Shawn?

“We were together for nine years before we got married. Then a year later, we got a divorce.”

So almost a decade together, what led to divorce?

“We had very compelling reasons for a divorce. I believe it was also a lack of leadership on my part as a young black man. I did not grow up with my dad in the home. He was barely involved in my life and I did not have any other father figure; everything I learned about marriage was self-taught. Not to mention we still live modern-day slavery as a system that is set up to keep the black family apart around a toxic European culture. And my ex-wife was that a strong-minded woman very independent was very involved in social works. The way I grew up on these tough streets very masculine and religious, I wasn't in control when I should have been.”

How did you deal with depression after divorce?

“I got physically sick everything change for me not too long after my divorce. I wasn’t active anymore I was down every day even when I spoke to my family overseas I was down, I was broken. I lost my wife, the mother of my child and my best friend. I did not know how to deal with that I got tired mentally and spiritually I was on my couch for three months and that’s when I realize I was depressed.”

How did you overcome depression?

“ I overcame by becoming a harder working man, meditation and traveling. I got into martial arts did a little bit of yoga. I surround myself with positive people and entrepreneurs making more money too. Afterall now I'm a better man.''

- Khalifa Shakur

"Pusher: each one, push one.''

Interview by Nivendia Sullivan.