About this episode

Mark Anthony Neal discusses his mental health crisis stemming from the pressures of Black masculinity and his journey through therapy.

After a panic attack nearly made him lose control on the highway, Mark Anthony Neal continued to bottle up his anxiety and pretend everything was fine. Years later, when he secretly started therapy, he unpacked how the pressures of Black masculinity led him to a mental health crisis. … Recommendations from the archive • A scholar’s take on why “colorblindness” is dangerous: How to Not (Accidentally) Raise a Racist • More on the stigma around therapy in the Black community: When Are You Gonna Be Normal Again? • A Black mom on raising a passing son: How Will They Know I’m Black? … Episode resources • Mark Anthony Neal’s book: Save a Seat for Me: Notes on American Fatherhood … • Join LST+ for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! • Follow us on Instagram • Sign up for our newsletter, where we recommend other parenting + reproductive health media • Buy books by LST guests (your purchase supports the show!) • Website: longestshortesttime.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Hillary Frank

Guest: Mark Anthony Neal

Topics covered

• mental health
• Black masculinity
• fatherhood
• therapy
• anxiety
• parenting

Keywords

• mental health
• Black fatherhood
• anxiety
• therapy
• masculinity
• parenting
• stigma

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Longest Shortest Time, Realm

Books & works: Save a Seat for Me: Notes on American Fatherhood

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• LST FAVES: How To Not (Accidentally) Raise A Racist · July 29, 2026 · 51 min
• Jamilah Lemieux on Black Single Motherhood · July 22, 2026 · 45 min

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