National Men’s Health Month

By BethAnne Brink-Cox

June is National Men’s Health Month. That might remind some to schedule wellness checks, have routine tests done, and maybe make some changes to diet, exercise and lifestyle. But there’s something equally important when it comes to men’s health, and it’s overlooked or denied far too often: mental health. Therapy is more normalized for women, with nearly 1 in 4 women seeing a therapist in 2021, but only 12% of American men went to therapy in that year.*

Why the difference? It’s chillingly simple: men aren’t supposed to have mental health problems. Generations of men were raised to believe that boys don’t cry, which carries over into the aspects of being a man: strength, power, stoicism, and assertiveness. And the symptoms of struggle don’t always show as such; they can be manifested as anxiety, headaches, sleep disorders, and eating disorders both anorexia and/or bulimia, and substance abuse, to name a few. Depression is anger turned inward, and things like work-related pressure, health issues, and financial stress are the most common causes. COVID-19 and the subsequent quarantine sent statistics soaring among men, especially if they lost their jobs. Many men, when asked, said it would take thoughts of suicide before they would seek help. What, then, can a concerned spouse, friend, or child do? Careful observation, of course, is essential. According to a blog post written by Gabriel Nathan, an author and Allied Therapist, “Trusting your gut and paying attention may save someone’s life someday, or it may just make a certain man in your life at ease enough in his own skin to tell you even a fraction of what’s on his mind. It might give him the courage he needs to seek the help and guidance of a mental health professional.”**

What else could you do? Fresh air and exercise—a great way to increase endorphins—are good medicine, especially in sunlight. There are therapy lights you can buy for gloomy days that are very helpful throughout the winter or any other dark day; just a few minutes in front of that light increases serotonin and melatonin in the brain. A clean diet is helpful, as well. You could make it a family project—go for a walk or a swim together. Light a candle and listen to music instead of watching television together. Believe it or not, read aloud to the one you love. Big people might be surprised to find they like it as much as little ones do.

Most important, be sure that man knows you’re there, that you hear, and that you care. You may not know exactly what to do, but if he knows you’ve got his back and you’ll do whatever you can, whatever he needs, to help him through this, why, that’s the best medicine yet. After all, wouldn’t we want them to do the very same for us? a

* Kristal DeSantis. “I’m a Therapist Who Treats Hyper-Masculine Men. Here’s What No One is Telling Them.” (msn.com, April 5)

** Suffering in Silence: Men’s Mental Health in America Today. (https://oc87recoverydiaries. org/mens-mental-health/) blog 2023