Trigger Warning: This article about mental health contains discussions of suicide and suicidal ideation. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, we encourage you to seek help. (You can find helpful resources at the end of this article.)

This week at Safe Harbor International Ministries, we are focusing on mental health, and in this article, the spotlight will be on men’s mental health specifically. While as a society, we are slowly becoming more comfortable talking about mental illnesses, the stigma surrounding these problems for men is still present. Men’s mental health is not talked about as much as women’s mental health. Here are the facts, and what you can do to help. 

Prevalence of mental health problems in men

In the USA, 1 in 5 people have a mental illness, and 6 million men in the USA have a mental illness. These conditions are common, and illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and eating disorders often go undiagnosed in men, because men are more likely to be afraid to ask for help with their mental health than women are. Depression and suicide are one of the leading causes of male deaths around the world, yet men are less likely to seek help for these conditions than women are. Mental health illnesses are a serious matter, and men should be able to talk freely about these problems.

Signs of mental health problems

There are many general signs of mental health problems, but there are some symptoms that men are more likely to exhibit than women are. This is because men and women often have different natural responses to their mental health problems. 

Common signs of mental illness in men:

• Anger
• Irritability
• Aggressiveness

Common general signs of mental illness:

• Changes in mood, energy level, or appetite
• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless, or on edge
• Increased feelings of worry or stress
• Misuse of alcohol and/or drugs
• Feelings of sadness or hopelessness
• Suicidal thoughts
• Feeling empty or having trouble feeling positive emotions
• Engaging in high-risk activities
• Aches, headaches, digestive problems without a clear cause
• Obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior
• Thoughts or behaviors that interfere with work, family, or social life

Photo by Finn on Unsplash

Decreasing the stigma

Many men feel as though they can’t seek help for these problems, or have to appear tough. For many men, they feel as though it’s a sign of weakness to talk about their emotions, and they feel too vulnerable. Men are often told to “man up” when the subject of their emotions comes up, and this results in repressing their feelings that would be better handled if they addressed head-on. Going to therapy is also still a stigmatized issue. 

In addition, men of color are even more likely to have worse mental health than white men. This Safe Harbor article talks about mental health in the black community, and how people of color are likely to experience different problems with their mental health such as PTSD and trauma. For information about how to help a friend with PTSD, click here, and to learn more about trauma, click here.

All of this results in men not getting the help they need. In order to fix this, we need to reduce the stigma around men talking about their emotions, opening up, and putting themselves in a place of vulnerability. Decreasing the stigma around seeing counselors and therapists is also extremely important. The more discussions we have surrounding mental health and seeking help, the less stigmatized these issues will be, and the people who need help will be more likely to seek it. 

Resources

If you or a loved one needs immediate help, don’t hesitate to call (or text) a helpline. These helplines can be utilized if you need someone to listen or want personalized advice about what to do next. Folks on these helplines can also direct you to a therapist in your area, and the conversation is completely confidential. There is no shame in utilizing these numbers, that’s what they are there for!  

SAMHSA’s National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-827-7571

http://www.crisistextline.org/

Written by Jackie Ebel, blogger at Safe Harbor International Ministries. For more articles, visit our blog page at https://safeharborim.com/articles/.