Alex Jenny • • I've been getting questions from white folks that basically amount to "What if I want to be an ally but I'm mentally ill and traumatized?" Here is my response as a trauma therapist and anti-oppression educator: It is time y'all seriously take a look at ways to increase your distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills, if not for your own healing, then for the cause. Mental illness and PTSD is not an excuse, it is a very real barrier, yes, AND it is absolutely something that can be worked on. White people's avoidance of conflict and "nice" culture is very much rooted in white supremacy. Your comfort is rooted in white supremacy. Black people are being actively and acutely traumatized continually and are still showing up to fight because they have no other alternatives. So no, mental illness does not give you an excuse to disengage completely. Talk to me if you're a white person who is struggling with collecting enough "spoons" to be engaged. There are many ways to participate, but looking away altogether is, again, a privileged decision.