May was Mental Health Awareness month, which as you all know is very important to me. Our mental health is something that often gets overlooked, minimized or pushed to the way side; when it shouldn’t be.
June is also Mental Health Awareness month but more specifically it’s, Men’s Mental Health Awareness month. The irony behind this, my husband lost his mental health battle during men’s mental health awareness month last year. So, I’ve taken an extra special interest into this cause. We shouldn’t be shamed when talking about it, we shouldn’t be shut out when it’s brought up, we should be willing to listen and we should be supportive.
Society for many years has labeled that men need to be strong, the provider, suppress their feelings, etc. I’m here to remind all of the men out there that it’s OK not to be OK. That you don’t have to hold everything in. That you don’t have to let the pressures of life bog you down. You don’t always have to be strong. Men are 4x more likely to die by suicide than women are and I believe this has a lot to do with our society and the stigma around mental health. We must speak up. We have to normalize talking about it.
I found some of the following information/statistics interesting and wanted to share.
Signs a person needs help (but won’t ask for it)
Change in sleep patterns, sleeping more or less
Sudden irritability or angry outbursts
Increased substance abuse or risky behavior
Isolating and withdrawing from usual activities
Putting on a fake smile and dismissing your concerns
Appetite changes or neglecting personal hygiene
Becoming overly focused on work or other distractions
Making self-deprecating jokes or showing hopelessness
Unexplained illnesses that doctors cant find the cause of
A decline in performance at work or school
Picking fights or finding reasons to push loved ones away
Minimizing problems or comparing them to everyone else
Being afraid of being a burden or refusing help
Losing their sense of humor
Talking a lot about death or wanting to escape
Changes in personality drastically over night
Mental Health Statistics
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience a mental health illness each year
More than half of adults with a mental illness do not receive treatment
Over 60% of our youth with a major depression disorder do not receive treatment
90% of people who die by suicide have a mental health disorder
Men’s Mental Health Statistics
31% of men suffer depression in their lifetime
9% of men have daily feelings of depression or anxiety
Only ¼ talk to a mental health professional
Only 1/3 take medication
The biggest cause of mental health issues in men
32% work pressure
31% financial issues
23% their health
40% of men have never spoken to anyone about their mental health
29% are “too embarrassed to talk about it”
20% say there is a “negative stigma” on the issue
77% have suffered with symptoms of negative mental health
Suicide Prevention
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States
More need to invest in suicide prevention, education and resources
76% of communities do not have enough mental health providers to serve residents
In 2021, California alone had 4,148 suicide deaths
Local Resources Regarding Mental Health
NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) Family and self-help advocacy programs
Center for Health and Human Services 24 hour crisis line:
Jessica’s House – Grief therapy for children, teens and families
Children’s Crisis Center
Text or Call 988 for suicide/mental health support
10 Things People Share That Massively Improve Their Mental Health
Saying no to alcohol
Learning to say no and stop sweating the small stuff
Less social media usage
Regular exercise
Practicing gratitude
Having pets
Addressing deficiencies
Being genuine
Getting good sleep
Removing toxic friends
A lot of these facts and statistics are very alarming to me and they should be to you as well. If you or someone you know is struggling with a possible mental health concern, please don’t wait. There is help out there, you just have to reach for it.
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