Mental health problems can be a silent killer. Unfortunately, it is a crisis that most men chose not discuss — sometimes to protect their loved ones — and sometimes because they are tough and don’t want to reveal this sensitive side.
As per NIMH, the prevalence of mental illnesses in men is lower than in women. However, they have higher risks of suicide because of these issues. Mental health should be treated holistically with lots of love and care. At the end of the day, your physical health is largely influenced by your emotional health.
Why misters don’t talk about it?
Misters are often not vocal about mental health issues because of the stigma associated with it. A broken, flawed man would probably be ostracised for their honesty — and this fear stops them from talking about such issues. Even if they discuss the issue with their friends, one probably hears “Man-up” or a fellow friend says “that sucks” or “oh that’s bad” and chose to speak of something else.
And this alters the statistics of emotional health and tilts it on the wrong side.
- 9% or about 6 million men experience depression on an everyday basis. Depression truly sucks, but do we admit it — NO. You hide it under the cushion of I am tired or cranky.
- 3 million men struggle with anxiety daily.
- 3.5 million people diagnosed schizophrenic by the age of 30. 90% are men.
- 0 million men in the U.S. will suffer from an eating disorder
- One out of five men suffers from alcohol dependency
- Suicide is the second most common cause of death for every age group for men 10 through 39 years.
What are the symptoms of emotional health issues?
The first step is to identify the silent killer signs. If you suffer from any of these symptoms on a regular basis — it’s likely that you are suffering from some sort of mental health issues:
- Anger, irritability, etc
- Drastic mood swings
- Evident change in appetite and energy levels
- Lack of sleep or excessive sleep
- Trouble concentrating
- Too much dependency on alcohol or drugs
- Feeling of sadness or hopelessness
- Suicidal ideas in your mind
- Taking risks for the sake of combating depression
- Headaches and digestive issues with no physical signs
- Obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior
What you should do?
Thoughts or behaviour that interfere with family or even your work life are early warning signs to watch out for. Remember that not talking is not a solution. It can be anyone — your partner, close friend or even family member. If you feel that you will be mocked or laughed at, there are many NGO’s offering helpline to combat mental health issues like depression and suicidal thoughts.
You can also take up the holistic approach of self-healing:
- Indulge in new activity — think sport, yoga or even change of job
- Do meditation and deep breathing for relaxing the mind
- Spend some me-time. Misters need it too
And when happiness doesn’t come to you, we go scouting for it — so don’t give up. You can get over this tough time.