Category Archives: Mental Health

Hope for Mothers Facing Postpartum Depression

April 3, 2019 0 comments Mental Health, Parenting, Women's Health, Women's Mental Health drleesha Dr. Leesha

She sat in my office, shifting uncomfortably in her chair, her face tense with worry. She met my concerned gaze with eyes rimmed with tears. Then her shoulders dropped, the weight of her plight too heavy to bear; she began to sob uncontrollably. Her fatigue had become exhaustion and was now desperation as she clung tightly to whatever hope she could still grasp though it was rapidly slipping through her clenched fists. She stammered as she spoke, almost as if she were choking on the words, themselves. “I can’t do this,” she whispered. Her eyes darted to the pumpkin seat […]

To Whom Does My Black Life Matter?

March 13, 2019 9 comments Children's Mental Health, Mental Health, Social Justice children, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health Dr. Leesha

A Tough Question That’s really the question at the heart of the issue, isn’t it? Does my black life matter to you, my friends, my neighbors, my co-workers, fellow Christians, or even this country? Does it? It feels like a big, angry “NO” as I find myself, yet again, forced to do internal damage control at the racially-charged images and stories that slither across my newsfeed. First, I learn that there will be no justice for Stephon Clark, another unarmed young black man fatally shot and killed last March by two Sacramento police officers. My heart broke for I am […]

Worried & Praying? Struggles of the Anxious Christian

February 5, 2019 1 comment Anxiety, Faith, Mental Health Anxiety, Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Doubt, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Faith, Fear, harvesting hope, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

While I don’t remember the first time someone said this to me, I have certainly heard this saying many, many times and have spoken these words internally: “If you’re going to pray, don’t worry. If you’re going to worry, don’t pray.” So, what does this mean for the anxious Christian? Am I lacking faith if I worry? Does my worry dishonor God and His infinite wisdom and power? Am I making my problems bigger than my God? These are the questions that have plagued me, especially as I have grown closer to God and matured spiritually. I worry, too I […]

STOP Mommy Shaming

January 29, 2019 0 comments Mental Health, Parenting, Uncategorized Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, children, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, moms, motherhood, Parenting, positive parenting Dr. Leesha

Nobody’s Safe On the playgrounds, at the local Target, in your schools – nowhere feels safe. Mommy-shamers and internet trolls are watching, lurking, and judging. These shamers come for both regular and celebrity moms. The Kardashian sisters are particularly popular. Moms blasted Kourtney Kardashian because her son, Reign, wears his hair long. They bad-mouthed Khloe Kardashian when her infant daughter, True, was photographed playing in an ultra-expensive Birkin bag. Kim Kardashian let her oldest daughter, North, wear lipstick for holiday family photos, and the trolls unleased their fury. Then there was Carrie Underwood who was roasted for wearing a full […]

Leveling Up in 2019 with Powerful Words

December 31, 2018 3 comments Faith, Healthy Living, Mental Health, Uncategorized Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health Dr. Leesha

My love of words I fell in love with words as a child. Though I no longer recall the day, the memory remains permanently etched in the recesses of my mind. To honor my birth as his first child, my father penned a beautiful poem entitled, “My Little Lee-Lee.” I remember listening as he read each word, completely enamored. A few years later I was able to read them for myself. That my father had crafted such a delightful ode for his baby girl using a series of words strung together just so cultivated my love for language and the […]

Bullying and Depression

November 19, 2018 8 comments Children's Mental Health, Health Education, Mental Health, Schools Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, children, Depression, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Psychiatrist, schools, special education Dr. Leesha

Devastating News A few days ago, I learned that 9-year-old Madison Whitsett from Birmingham, Alabama, committed suicide. I have gleaned 3 facts from major news outlets – Madison was diagnosed with ADHD, she was being bullied at school, and she had recently started new medication. Although Madison’s parents have not divulged the name of the medication, some have stated that suicidal thoughts are listed as one of the side effects. I am profoundly devastated by this news. My heart breaks for this precious baby, her family, and the entire community. I thought long and hard about writing this blog post, […]

Dr. Leesha | Psychiatrist, Therapist, and Parenting Expert