June is Men’s Mental Health Month
Men’s mental health is so under-discussed and we need to do a better job at bringing their struggles to the limelight. Stigma and toxic masculinity are the main culprits for the lack of attention and the lack of men seeking services. Check in on the men in your lives and tell them it’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to not “be manly.” It’s okay to not carry the weight of the world and weight of family on their shoulders. It’s okay to open up, be vulnerable and ask for help. It is not weak.
• Nearly 1 in 10 men experience some form of depression or anxiety.
• About 10% of patients with bulimia or anorexia are men.
• Over 6 million men suffer from depression, 3 MENTAL million men in the US have panic disorder, agoraphobia, or any other phobia, and 90% of men were diagnosed with schizophrenia (3.5 million people in the US).
• Men are less likely than women to seek professional help.
• Men are less likely to speak to friends and family about their struggles due to stigma, and other pressures.
• Men are 4 times more likely to die by suicide than of women.
What can we do:
• Create safe spaces for the men in our life to open up
• Check-in on them and assure the men around us that their feelings matter and it is okay to be vulnerable
• Challenge toxic masculinity and harmful stereotypes
• Start the conversation if we notice someone may be struggling
Let’s continue to learn together so we can create safe spaces for men to receive the support they need for their mental health! #MensHealthMonth #BrothertoBrother