Happy International Men’s Day
This International Men’s Day, No more Man Up slogans rather Ask your men to open up to make a Real Happy International Men’s Day.
There are concerns about increasing Men’s health issues all over the world.
Men in all Roles, Husband, Brother, Dad, Son, .….
Don’t we see that all of them suffer silently. We know they are the caring and responsible people in the family yet they neglect their health issues and also fall to substance abuse due to various reasons.
Right from untimely meals to only a few set of clothes and also a forced doctors visit only in case of emergency. They keep on passing the health issues and needs for the family priorities, career and earning.
Surveys from around the world show that men everywhere find it difficult to open up about mental health, though they are significantly more at risk of attempting suicide than women. In this Special Blog on International Men’s Day, we look at why this may be and how to address this issue.
From infancy to old age, women are simply healthier than men. Out of the 15 leading causes of death, men lead women in all of them except Alzheimer’s Disease, which many men don’t live long enough to develop. Although the gender gap is closing, men still die five years earlier than their wives, on average.
While the reasons are partly biological, men’s approach to their health also plays a vital role.
“Men put their health last” and Most men’s thinking is, if they can live up to their roles in society, then they’re healthy.”
Some health issues, such as erectile dysfunction (ED) and prostate problems, are also unique to men. Around 100 million men all over world have ED, and benign prostatic hyperplasia is the most common prostate problem for men older than age 50. Other health issues—such as Mental health issues lime depression, anxiety, burn out syndrome, coronary heart disease, lung cancer, HIV infection, and Parkinson’s disease—are more common in men than women.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also cite 2018 data, noting that in that year alone, “Men died by suicide 3.56 times more often than women” in the United States.
And Mental Health America, a community-based nonprofit, reference data suggesting that 3 million men in the U.S. experience symptoms of depression each year, and more than 3 million experience and anxiety disorder.
Despite these staggering figures, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) report that men are less likely than women to have received formal mental health support in the past year.
In their 2018 report, the WHO emphasize that cultural stigma surrounding mental health is one of the chief obstacles to people admitting that they are struggling and seeking help.
And this stigmatization is particularly pronounced in men.
The Patriarchial society is a silent killer which boosts their false ego detrimental to their own health conditions too.
“Described in various media as a ‘silent epidemic’ and a ‘sleeper issue that has crept into the minds of millions,’ with ‘chilling statistics,’ mental illness among men is a public health concern that begs attention.”
A study from The University of British Columbia (UBC), in Vancouver, Canada, published in 2016 in Canadian family physician.
Its authors explain that prescriptive, ages-old ideas about gender are likely both part of the cause behind the development of mental health issues in men and the reason why men are put off from seeking professional help.
Another study from Canada — published in Community mental health journal in 2016 — found that, in a national survey of English-speaking Canadians, among 541 respondents with no direct experience of suicidal ideation or depression, more than one-third admitted to holding stigmatizing beliefs about mental health issues in men.
And among this group, male respondents were more likely than females to hold views such as: “I would not vote for a male politician if I knew he had been depressed,” “Men with depression are dangerous,” and “Men with depression could snap out of it if they wanted.”
In India there is such lack of awareness that not just research but even getting contributors would be a difficult task.
Recent deaths of celebrities like Actor Sushant singh and Spiritual leader Bhaiyyu Maharaj shows how the deep impact can cause silent crisis.
Among 360 research respondents with direct experience of depression or suicidal ideation, more male than female respondents said that they would feel embarrassed about seeking formal treatment for depression.
One contributor who spoke also said, it is not easy for men to be open with their peers about mental health struggles.
“Talking about mental health isn’t something that tends to come up readily in particular social environments, such as when playing football,” he told us.
“Often, the relationships there are tied into the game and little else away from the pitch, which is a real shame,” he added.
While there are no extensive research studies about Men’s health in India, Men continue to suffer in silence with a thorned crown of a ideal kingly figure in the society.
Its high time that men should start speaking of their issues and seek help whenever required.
the researchers emphasize the importance of “disrupting how men traditionally think about depression and suicide by breaking down the stigma that surrounds these topics” through nationwide campaigns.
They also explain that it is important to help men change the idea of receiving support from “a mark of weakness” to a necessary step in maintaining one aspect of health that is as important as any other.
Anecdotal evidence supports these suggestions. Source: Medical News Today
“[One] area I feel needs improvement is education. […] I had spells of bad mental health in my childhood. It wasn’t until my teenage years, when I became aware of my mother’s and grandfather’s history of mental health problems, that I realised what was going on with me. As a child, feeling anxious and/or depressed for no apparent reason was terrifying and only made my symptoms worse.”
“Also, not knowing what was going on made me embarrassed, and I usually wouldn’t tell anyone what was going on with me,” this contributor went on to say.
“I don’t know for sure, but if there had been education about mental health in my childhood, I reckon my symptoms wouldn’t have scared me as much, and I would have been more open about talking about it with my parents, teachers, healthcare professionals, etc.”
Dr. Martinez, referring to a report from 2014, also emphasizes the importance of community-based approaches.
“Stigma fades when men and boys see resilience and mental health self-care modeled by their fathers, brothers, teachers, faith leaders, and friends,” he says.
“Seek ways to demonstrate the connection between individual mental health and popular traditions of mentorship, cultural pride, self-emancipation and community action among men.”
Behavioral signs of Depression in men
The behavioral signs of depression can manifest differently in men and women. For instance, alcohol and drug use affect men with depression more often than women, and men are more likely than women to display anger attacks and risk-taking behavior.
Men with depression may notice the following behavioral changes:
- drinking more or taking drugs
- avoiding family or social situations
- working obsessively without taking proper breaks
- finding it hard to keep up with work or family responsibilities
- becoming more controlling or abusive in relationships
- engaging in risk-taking behavior, such as gambling or unsafe sex
- attempting suicide
One theory is that these behavioral changes occur as a result of men trying to mask depression and adhere to so-called “masculine norms.” This attempt to conceal depression may cause men to lash out or engage in self-destructive behaviors.
Men with depression may also lose interest in their hobbies and passions or feel less motivated to succeed at work.
Depression may affect a man’s sex drive too. Men with depression may have less interest in having sex and might have trouble with sexual performance.
Some men may find it easier to discuss physical symptoms than mood changes. However, there is a close link between the mind and body. It is vital to share all symptoms with a doctor, even if they seem insignificant or irrelevant.
Depression affects the emotional state of both men and women, causing low mood.
Women with depression may express this as sadness, but some men may be less comfortable outwardly expressing this emotion. Changes to their emotional state can, therefore, become apparent in other ways.
Early signs of depression in men can include an increase in:
- anger
- frustration
- aggression
- irritability
These differences may be due to societal expectations of how men and women express emotion. It is likely that men will be less willing to show certain emotions, such as sadness, if they feel that others may judge or criticize them for it.
Men with depression may experience thoughts of suicide.
Depression is a mental health condition, but it also has physical symptoms. Men with depression may experience:
- Headaches
- tightness in the chest
- joint, limb, or Back pain
- digestive problems
- Tiredness
- sleeping too much or too little
- feeling restless or agitated
- eating too much or too little
- unintentional weight loss
Some of these symptoms may arise because of the effect that depression has on a person’s brain chemicals. Depression changes the levels of Serotonin and norepinephrine, which are brain messengers that govern pain and mood. Shared brain cell pathways may link depression and pain.
Watch this out how crying is helpful to seek out help to open up and communicate your emotions.
Just like women face life change issues, Similarly Men too face these issues at adolescence, Puberty, teenage, middle age and andropause.
Some healthcare tips for Men:
- Plan yearly routine medical check ups according to your age as advised by your doctor.
- Deworm
- Seek psychological help if you face any anxiety or any signs of depression.
- Seek help for your physical health issues from the concerned medical professional.
- Do regular 30 minute walking or fitness exercises suitable for your physique.
- Pursue hobbies like singing, dancing etc
- Nutritious Dieting, fasting and beautifying yourself is not gender specific. You can do it too.
- All these activities releases your happy hormones and it enhances your productivity and performance.
- Pamper yourself like a king.
- Take your me time.
- Meditate.
Homoeopathic Medicine and psychological counselling has been shown to be safe and effective for treating symptoms of ED, BPH and other men’s physical and mental health issues.
Watch out for more men’s health issues and homoeopathic solutions in the next blog.
Continued….
The Art Of Healing 