June is National Men’s Health Month, so I would like to emphasize the importance of taking care of our mental health, as well as men’s health.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is a trusted source for information about mental health and available treatment options. According to the NIMH, men are only half as likely as women to seek help for mental health issues, even though mental health conditions occur at similar rates in both genders. This disparity is reflected in the suicide rate, which is twice as high for men as for women. While socioeconomic status and race do affect access to care and the quality of treatment people receive, these factors do not explain the full extent of why men are less likely to seek mental health care.
But taking the non-scientific route and speaking from a more personal experience, men have not always been socialized to reveal pain, emotions, or mental health challenges. Avoiding talking about these issues is sometimes related to a mixture of pride, ego, and peer pressure, as well as a lack of self-reflection and peer support. Ladies often rally around each other with talking, food, and time together. Men say, “I wish you the best and I’ll see you in a few weeks at hunting season.” See the difference? It’s critical that men lose the stigma about asking for mental health help, because failing to do so hurts them and those they love.
I must say that I see every day the major influence that a caring person has on a man’s health. It is either the push to go to the doctor by a loved one or a catastrophic event that changes the course of a man’s health. I hear all the time from men that they work out daily and keep their weight under control yet have not had a yearly physical exam — not to mention the other health workups that are recommended, depending on a man’s individual life stage.
Just like women, men should have yearly, routine self and physical exams, including prostate checks, colonoscopies, breast (yes, men can get breast cancer) and testicular exams, and blood work, just to name a few. The main point is whether you are a man or woman, your life quality and length largely rely on knowledge, self-awareness, yearly physicals, and doing all you can to support your wellbeing.
My mom always said, “Too much pride and ego, and you’ll end up in one of three places — in the hospital, in jail, or dead.” So, the next time your buddy hints at a health or emotional challenge, consider that it might be best to ask him what is really going on and how you can help.