Men and Mental Health Podcast

Men's mental health is often overlooked and stigmatized. Depression and substance abuse are prevalent among men, leading to high rates of suicide. Men lack strong social support structures, which contributes to their struggles. Building emotionally intimate relationships and challenging societal expectations is crucial. We need a movement to raise awareness and demand equal coverage for mental health. Treating others with respect and empathy can make a difference. Welcome back to another episode of Keeping In Mind, the comprehensive podcast for recognizing and solving the rapidly growing mental health crisis of our modern society. Today I'll be looking into a topic that doesn't really get talked about. In the past, we've looked at a variety of mental disorders and their impacts on individuals in our society, but today's conversation will differ. Ordinarily, I would discuss specific mental illnesses, depression, PTSD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and so forth, and the ramifications they introduce into our society. But today we'll involve a broader dialogue about a group of individuals that are typically overlooked even among mental health activists. That group is men. There's a stigma surrounding how men should deal with mental illnesses, and it's significant enough that I believe it's worth talking about. But before I dive further into this issue, I want to take the time to recognize that men are not the only ones who deal with difficult mental illness. There are very reasonable and well-supported arguments that could be made, asserting that women and non-binary individuals can and do suffer from mental disorders more frequently and even more severely than men. However, I'm exploring how men face unique social and psychological challenges that create struggles that are rarely addressed at all, and why we should be considering and implementing solutions. Depression is the leading cause of disability on planet Earth. As someone who has personally experienced both mental illness and the associated stigma, I can tell you that words are inadequate to describe just how debilitating mental illness can truly be. And in a rapidly evolving culture that puts productivity at the pinnacle of the image depicting how to live a successful life, it's no wonder that a disorder characterized by psychologically preventing an individual from feeling motivation to get things done is significantly stigmatized by society. Depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses affect real people each and every day, and it's a growing issue in all parts of our society. And although mental illness may be less prevalent in male demographics, dealing with emotional disorders isn't the same both culturally and psychologically for men as it is for women. Despite the lack of recognition for the role it plays in them, mental illness represents a domineering obstacle for men. They are the most vulnerable to the effects of emotional disorders, they are significantly lacking in emotional support structures, and they are taught from a young age to avoid helping themselves with healthy coping mechanisms in favor of the concept of masculinity. Thus, a solution to address this issue really necessitates both societal adjustment and cultural transition. I want to discuss both later in this podcast, but before we can begin to explore solutions, we need to understand why and how the mental health epidemic is affecting men in the ways that it does. But wait, doesn't it seem counterintuitive that the social group represented by masculinity would be the most emotionally vulnerable? Yes, it absolutely is, and that's part of our problem. There's an abundance of evidence supporting the idea that men are indeed the most susceptible individuals when it comes to the potential and indirect effects of depression. This vulnerability manifests in a variety of forms, particularly when it comes to substance abuse. In an article referencing a study done on the subject in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, educator Mithra Salmasi explains more. It seems that men have more tolerant attitudes towards drugs and alcohol. In general, they tend to think of it as more compatible with their identities and roles in life than women do. Additionally, men are more likely to externalize negative emotions as opposed to internalizing them. They are more likely to exhibit impulsive behaviors and, as a result, cope with those emotions through unhealthy means, including substance abuse. Research relayed by McLean Hospital states that depression and suicide are considered leading causes of death among men. In the U.S., every year, at least six million men are affected by depression, and men are two to three times more likely to misuse substances. Additionally, the average number of men dying annually due to alcohol-related causes is approximately 2.5 times greater than the number of women who do. The National Bureau of Economic Research reports that individuals with a history of mental illness are 25% more likely to consume alcohol, 69% more likely to consume cocaine, and 94% more likely to consume cigarettes, but the increased risk of substance abuse or developing an addiction isn't as bad as it gets. The CDC recently released statistics stating that nearly 80% of all suicides are committed by men, and in the last 20 years, suicide rates have increased by well over 33%. These statistics make one thing clear. Mental illness and substance abuse in men are very interconnected, and both have a dangerously high probability of leading to suicide, but why, exactly, are men so prone to both addiction and developing depression and other mental illnesses? One of the answers lies in the social support structure for men, or rather, the lack thereof. Men have different approaches and qualities of relationships. Dana Hinders, writer for the Waypoint Recovery Center, explains why and how it's important. Strong connections with other people play a tremendous role in an individual's mental health. Close friends give you someone to talk to after a bad day. When you tell them your problems, they offer a balanced perspective on what's troubling you. They provide protection against loneliness and isolation. If they see you're struggling, they intervene and try to help. Unfortunately, men are less likely than women to have these types of strong social ties. Male friendships often center on shared interests and activities as opposed to talking about their feelings or daily struggles. For many men, their spouse is their primary source of emotional support. Unfortunately, if the marriage dissolves, this places a man at a high risk of substance abuse. Psychology Today noted that substance abuse among men is often linked to the stress of divorce or unemployment. In essence, Hinders argues that the social bonds typically made involving men, particularly outside of marriage, are insufficient for the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle for the man. This singular aspect of the male role in society is among the most detrimental. For you listeners who consider yourself to be involved in important, emotionally invested relationships, think about how your life, particularly your emotional health, would be different without those bonds, having nobody to come to in a time of crisis, and nobody to trust with emotional needs. These are very real issues in many people's lives each and every day. Evidence suggests that men in particular find themselves facing such a life, which in turn feeds into mental illness, substance abuse, and potentially suicide. As an individual who experienced this personally, I'm confident in saying that the lack of an emotional support network could potentially be the most influential factor in emotional health for men. This brings us to the first solution for the issue at hand. Connecting through individual relationships is key for an emotional support network to adequately protect us. Any solution involving pointing society and our culture in a direction that allows and encourages men to more easily build emotionally intimate and vulnerable relationships is crucial. One of the most possible and effective solutions lies in the culture of relationships we engage in on a day-by-day basis. Dr. Christopher Palmer, the Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School explains how we can accomplish this. It's talking about the specific challenges men are having that can be enormously helpful. We need more empathy, less shaming, and less dismissiveness. Try to identify concrete problems. Talking generically about mental health is almost never helpful to any human being. The language we use is important. Avoid words like crazy or mental, which can enhance the feeling of stigmatization. Listen to a loved one's emotional needs and respect their boundaries. There's so many resources accessible to us to address mental illness, therapy, medication, and so forth. So don't feel like you personally need to solve the whole problem. Of course, maintaining healthy relationships isn't sufficient to solve the issue of men and mental health by itself. Palmer explains, there's a theme in our society. Men aren't really supposed to talk. They're not supposed to open up and talk about their feelings. They're supposed to be tough and strong. They're supposed to be fierce. This stereotype is still embedded in our culture. We have to have a movement, just like there was a movement for HIV-AIDS, just like there have been movements for Parkinson's disease and breast cancer. We as a society need to get to a point where we are having a movement, and that means people marching in the streets. It means people raising money. It means people calling congressional representatives. It means people calling insurance companies, demanding equal coverage. Realistically, without that, this issue isn't going to be fully resolved. I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to be here today. Just by listening to this podcast, you're already doing your part to become a more informed citizen. If you want to continue to support men in your life, just treat others with the decency and respect that they deserve. Treat others who are struggling as though the trials they are currently facing are the most difficult points in their lives. You'd be surprised at how often that can be true. Living in a world where so many people are struggling profoundly with depression, mental illness, and suicidal thoughts, your actions and words literally have the potential to save a life. This is keeping in mind. Thanks for listening.