In this deeply personal and vulnerable episode of Diamonds from Darkness, host Syrie D steps away from the polished motivation and speaks from the raw middle of her journey — inside a quiet sadness.
This isn’t the clinical breakdown of bipolar depression.
This is what it feels like.
The kind of sadness that doesn’t always look like tears — but rather stillness, silence, and the invisible weight that makes even getting out of bed feel like an act of survival.
Syrie opens up about:
The fog-like distance of moving through life but not feeling fully present
The guilt of wanting to show up for family while fighting an internal heaviness
The myth that Black women must always be strong, composed, and “fine”
Why bipolar depression is not laziness, weakness, or a lack of gratitude
And how grace, in this season, looks small, quiet, and imperfect
This episode honors the Black woman who is tired.
Who is doing her best.
Who is surviving in a world that demands her strength, even when she is running on empty.
In this episode, host Syrie D gets real about the Strong Black Woman myth, the pressure to always be unbreakable, unbothered, and endlessly strong.
Together, we explore the cost of that cape and what it means to finally set it down. ✨
Because true strength isn’t about carrying it all — it’s about knowing when to rest, receive, and simply be. 💎
Our fathers; whether present, absent, or somewhere in between ; shape more of our mental and emotional world than we often realize. In this episode, host Syrie D explores the powerful connection between fatherhood and Black women’s mental health.
From understanding the “father wound” to learning how to heal and redefine self-worth, this conversation offers reflection, compassion, and hope. Together, we unpack how our relationships with our fathers influence love, trust, and identity and how we can reclaim peace, one truth at a time.
✨ Listen in and discover how acknowledging your fathers story can become a gateway to deeper healing and self-love.
Can you truly love again after deep pain? 💔 In this transformative episode of Diamonds from Darkness, host Syrie D dives into the heart of healing and rebuilding love after trauma — especially for Black women carrying generations of emotional wounds, strength, and resilience.
From childhood hurt and betrayal to emotional neglect and heartbreak, trauma shapes how we love — and how we let ourselves be loved. But healing is possible. 🌱
✨ In this episode, you’ll discover:
How trauma impacts your ability to connect and trust in relationships
Common patterns like people-pleasing, avoidance, and emotional reactivity — and how to break them
Real-life stories of healing and rediscovering safe, steady love
Practical steps to rebuild self-trust, set boundaries, and receive love without guilt
Featuring heartfelt stories like Monique’s and Tasha’s journeys, this episode reminds us that love after trauma may feel unfamiliar , not because it’s wrong, but because peace feels new.
💎 Affirmation: “You are not your past. You are worthy of love that feels safe, steady, and real.”
Tune in, GEMS, and learn how to choose love that heals, not hurts.
In this powerful solo episode of Diamonds from Darkness, host Syrie D explores how generational trauma has shaped the way many Black women give and receive love — and how we can begin to break those cycles for ourselves and the generations that follow.
From the silence passed down in families to the fear of abandonment in relationships, Syrie uncovers the ways unhealed wounds show up in our most intimate connections.
With compassion and clarity, she guides listeners toward a deeper understanding of generational trauma, shares pathways for personal and collective healing, and reimagines what Black love can look like when rooted in safety, joy, and authenticity.
This episode closes with a healing affirmation and a journaling prompt to help you reflect, release, and redefine the love you deserve.
✨ Listen in and be reminded: you are worthy of love that heals, not harms.
Sis, love should not break you down, it should restore you.
In this episode of Diamonds from Darkness, host Syrie D unpacks the difference between unsafe and safe love, exploring how unhealthy relationships leave scars and how restorative love creates space for healing, boundaries, and growth.
You’ll learn what safe love looks like, how to cultivate it, and how to rewrite the narrative so that every connection in your life feels nourishing, steady, and whole. ✨
In this episode of Diamonds from Darkness, host Syrie D reminds us that joy isn’t a luxury—it’s medicine, resistance, and radical self-care.
From small daily practices to protecting your right to rest, this conversation explores how Black women can reclaim joy as a form of healing and freedom.
We’ve been told for generations that we have to grind twice as hard just to get half as much — but at what cost? In this episode of Diamonds from Darkness, host Syrie D challenges the myth of hustle culture and invites you to embrace the courage of slowing down.
Together, we’ll explore:✨ The hidden toll hustle culture takes on Black women’s mental, emotional, and physical health.✨ What the real “soft life” looks like beyond bubble baths and brunch — from nervous system regulation to reclaiming joy.✨ Practical shifts you can make today to protect your peace, set boundaries, and create space for rest.✨ How to redefine success on your own terms, in ways that honor your energy, your relationships, and your purpose.
This isn’t about laziness — it’s about liberation. It’s about choosing joy over exhaustion and peace over proving.
💎 Tune in to uncover how you can transition from survival mode to a thriving, intentional life where rest is not a reward, but your birthright.
Rest isn’t lazy — it’s liberation.
In this episode of Diamonds from Darkness, host Syrie D unpacks the toxic myth of grind culture and explores how Black women can reclaim rest as a birthright. Through the G.E.M.S. philosophy (Growth, Expression, Mindfulness, Strength), you’ll learn practical rituals and ancestral truths that remind us: choosing rest is choosing resistance, healing, and revolution.
In this deeply moving episode, host Syrie D takes us into the emotional and psychological depths of Tyler Perry’s new film Straw, a powerful portrayal of a Black mother unraveling under the weight of untreated psychosis. But this is more than a movie review—it’s a call to awareness, healing, and collective care.
Through the lens of the G.E.M.S. philosophy—Growth, Expression, Mindfulness, and Strength—we unpack how systemic pressures, grief, and trauma uniquely impact Black women’s mental health, particularly when it comes to psychosis.
Together, we’ll explore:
🧠 What psychosis really looks like in our community
📊 Why Black women are more likely to be misdiagnosed or dismissed
🎭 How silence and stigma keep us from healing
💪🏾 And what true strength looks like when we’re finally seen, heard, and supported
This episode is full of insight, compassion, and powerful truth. If you’ve ever felt invisible, misunderstood, or overwhelmed—this conversation is for you.
“Psychosis doesn’t make you broken. It means your mind is screaming for rest, safety, and liberation.”
🌱 The transformation begins here. 🌱
In this final segment of Loving Her Through the Healing, we explore the beauty that unfolds when love becomes a space for growth, not survival. Our guests, committed to emotional accountability and healing, open up about what it truly means to evolve with your partner, not just beside them.
This episode is about partnership, mutual healing, and breaking free from cycles that no longer serve us. It’s a reminder that even after the pain, love can still be safe, expansive, and deeply transformational.
If you’ve ever held space for someone else, or needed someone to hold space for you , this one is for your heart.
✨ Let this be more than a moment , let it become a movement.
Text this episode to someone navigating a hard season, and let them know: healing is possible, and love still lives here.
🎧 Tune in now and complete this unforgettable 3-part journey with us.
🔥 Part 2 is here, and we’re diving even deeper. 🔥
In this powerful segment of Loving Her Through the Healing, our featured kings open up about the unseen emotional labor of loving a partner through her healing journey. They speak candidly about the moments when showing up means being present, even while carrying their own weight, doubts, and pain.
This conversation is not about perfection or playing the hero; it’s about honest support, emotional vulnerability, and the complexity of holding space while holding it together.
💬 As one guest shared: “Strength doesn’t mean silence. It means showing up, even when you don’t have all the answers.”
If you’ve ever loved someone through their storm, while facing your own, this episode will speak straight to your soul.
Welcome back, GEMS!
We're kicking off Season 2 of Diamonds from Darkness with a powerful shift in perspective. In this special 3 part episode, host Syrie D flips the script to spotlight the voices of men who are walking beside their partners through mental health challenges — not as saviors, but as steady, loving support systems.
Joining Syrie are three deeply insightful guests — Gibran Alvarado, Michael Couture, and Marcus Sciulli — who open up about the complexities of loving strong women navigating depression, anxiety, trauma, and healing. These are the men behind the scenes: holding space, learning, growing, and showing up even when it's hard.
💬 In this episode, we explore:
What it means to truly show up when your partner is struggling
The emotional labor of love and the quiet strength of men who stay
The duality of being “the rock” while also feeling vulnerable
How therapy, communication, and cultural awareness shape modern Black and Brown love
The stigmas they’ve faced — and the courage it takes to break them
This episode is a tribute to love in its rawest, most resilient form. Whether you're supporting someone through their healing or navigating your own, this conversation is for you.
Hey GEMS ✨ In this powerful season finale of Diamonds from Darkness, host Syrie D brings the heat—and the healing—with a deeply resonant episode: The Art of Saying No: Boundaries as Self-Preservation. If you’ve ever felt guilty for protecting your peace, this conversation is your permission slip to reclaim your power.
We explore why saying “no” feels so hard, especially for Black women conditioned to be everything for everyone. From the weight of childhood expectations to the myth of the “Strong Black Woman,” Syrie unpacks the emotional toll of constant self-sacrifice—and how setting boundaries isn’t just healthy, it’s revolutionary.
You’ll learn:
The difference between boundaries and walls
Emotional red flags that signal it’s time to set limits
Real-life scripts for saying “no” without over-explaining
What opens up in your life when you protect your peace
Plus, there’s a reflective mini-exercise to help you honor your truth, and a final call to action that invites you to say one intentional no this week—with boldness and grace.
As Season One wraps, Syrie shares heartfelt gratitude for every listener who’s journeyed through the darkness toward healing. Season Two promises even deeper conversations, special guests, and space for YOUR voices too.
Your “no” is not a rejection—it’s a redirection toward peace, purpose, and self-respect. Tune in and be reminded: You don’t owe anyone your burnout. You owe yourself your becoming.
💎 Listen now. Share it with a sister. And protect your light at all costs.
In this heartfelt episode, host Syrie D opens up about hitting burnout and the powerful reminder she found in Dr. Keita Joy’s TED Talk, “Mental Health is Declining and Black Women are Hit the Hardest.” This episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and remember that Black women are allowed to be both strong and soft — bold and still in need of rest.
Syrie shares her personal journey navigating bipolar depression and anxiety, and how Dr. Joy’s words gave her permission to simply breathe. Tune in for a message of healing, vulnerability, and truth — because just like the quote says, “Just because we’re magic doesn’t mean we’re not real.” 💎
What if the habits you’ve been shamed for — procrastination, perfectionism, people-pleasing — aren’t flaws, but survival strategies you learned growing up in a toxic environment? In this powerful episode, Syrie D. unpacks how behaviors like overthinking, isolation, hyper-independence, and over-apologizing are often trauma responses, not character defects. Through compassion and understanding, she invites Black women to reframe their healing journey, offering practical steps toward self-love, wholeness, and reclaiming their power. You are not broken — you are surviving, and now it’s time to thrive.
Hey Gems 💎—today’s episode is one that reaches beneath the surface. I’m your host, Syrie D, and this is Diamonds from Darkness—the safe space where Black women can breathe, be seen, and remember who they are.
In this soul-stirring episode, we’re diving deep into the painful truths and invisible scars left by colorism and toxic beauty standards. We’re talking about more than just skin. We’re talking about the quiet ways these messages shape our self-worth, our identity, and our mental health.
You’ll hear real, raw stories from women like Shay, Tiff, and DeAndra, who open their hearts about what it means to navigate the world in every shade of Blackness. From being told you’re “too dark” or “not professional-looking,” to confronting the pressure to conform in corporate spaces, their journeys are filled with truth, heartbreak, and powerful reclamation.
We’ll unpack:
What colorism really is and how it shows up in our families, schools, jobs, and relationships
The emotional and psychological toll it takes—from self-doubt to depression
How we begin to heal by challenging the narratives, speaking life into each other, and reclaiming the mirror
And finally, affirmations to help you return to yourself with softness and strength
Whether you’re on your commute, doing your skincare routine, or sipping something warm—this episode is for every shade of us. It’s a reminder that you were never meant to edit yourself. You were born to grow beyond limits.
Tune in, reflect, and if it resonates, share it with a sister who needs this healing, too.
Until next time, remember:
Even in darkness, you are a diamond.
Hey GEMS!!! Your girl Syrie D is bringing it back to where it all began. In this powerful rebroadcast of my very first episode, we revisit the moment that sparked the Diamonds from Darkness movement.
This episode is more than just a conversation—it’s a heart-centered reminder that our struggles do not define us. They refine us.
Together, we explore the emotional weight Black women often carry in silence—the mental health challenges, the pressure to stay strong, and the power in finally letting go. Through raw storytelling and deep vulnerability, I shine a light on what it means to turn darkness into light.
Whether you’re just joining the journey or you’ve been rocking with me since day one, this episode is for you. A reminder that healing is possible, that your story is powerful, and that you are never alone.
So take a breath, lean in, and let’s reflect together.
Let’s break the silence. Let’s celebrate our truth. And most of all—let’s heal.
Tune in to Empowerment through Real Stories: Turning Darkness into Light—the one that started it all.
Hey GEMS! In this powerful and soul-nourishing episode of Diamonds from Darkness, we’re talking about something every Black woman needs and deserves: community. Host Syrie D. gets real about the emotional weight we carry—and why we were never meant to carry it alone.
From the mental health benefits of connection to the cultural legacy of sisterhood, this episode is a deep dive into the healing, strength, and joy that supportive networks can bring. Whether it’s a sister circle, a sorority, a church family, or a group chat that keeps you grounded—community is more than a vibe, it’s a lifeline.
You’ll hear:
Why isolation can be dangerous for your mental health
How Black women have historically leaned on each other for survival
5 practical steps to build your own supportive circle
A raw, personal story from Syrie about how sisterhood saved her life
A spotlight on incredible organizations doing the work for Black women’s wellness
Whether you already have a tribe or you’re still searching for your people—this episode will remind you that healing happens in community, and you don’t have to do it alone.
Tap in, take notes, and tell a friend—because we’re building something beautiful, together.
Organizations Supporting Black Women:
Motherhood is a beautiful journey, but for Black moms, it often comes with the unspoken expectation of being everything for everyone—except ourselves. In this powerful episode of Diamonds from Darkness, host Syrie D explores the unique challenges Black mothers face, from generational pressures to the overwhelming burden of burnout.
If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re doing enough, struggled with mom guilt, or felt like you’re running on empty, this episode is for you. Syrie D breaks down:
✨ The weight of Black motherhood and how it impacts mental health
✨ The truth about burnout—what it looks like and why it happens
✨ How unhealed generational patterns shape our approach to self-care
✨ Practical strategies to set boundaries, ask for help, and prioritize you
Sis, it’s time to let go of the guilt and reclaim your joy. Because when you take care of yourself, you show your children what true self-love looks like.
Tune in now, and let’s break the cycle together. You deserve rest. You deserve peace. You deserve joy.