Male Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Mental health is a big thing to me, I talk about it and go through it daily and male mental health, I feel isn’t spoken about anywhere near enough in society and mainstream media. I want to talk a bit about men’s mental health and the ways that we can spot men who are going through hard times, help prevent male suicide and also help support the cause, not by donating hoards of money but buying better.
With the stigma attached to men’s mental health issues, it’s still difficult for men to step forward and admit that something is wrong, which is why spotting the signs of men’s health issues is key and can change a life for the better.
Spotting Men’s Mental Health
Men and mental health, I feel overtime men have adapted to hide their feelings easily, not showing signs of distress or holding in the cries for help that are trying to get out. However that being said, signs of depression, anxiety, stress and mental health conditions in men do still show. To start with it’s important to understand how mental health conditions are triggered, for example, a recent loss in the family can lead to depression, the pressure at work can turn into stress. It’s key to look out for these life changes as it’s more likely mental health will be strained from them.
Mental health warning signs can vary from person to person and if you know the person well, changes in behaviour are easier to spot, for a full list of symptoms takes a look at the national institute of mental health page. Below are some common symptoms, which are easier to spot.
- Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness
- Noticeable changes in mood, energy level, or appetite
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless, or on edge
- Misuse of alcohol and/or drugs
- Obsessive thinking or compulsive behaviour
- Unusual thinking or behaviours that concern other people
It’s important not to bombard a person who you think is struggling with mental health as this puts them on the spot, can make them feel worse and in some situations like they can’t talk to you even more. Instead, find a suitable time, make sure you’re not surrounded by people and just casually ask how they’re feeling and give them a chance to talk to you, it’s the best way and they can open up to you. It’s difficult for men to open up, in society, it’s still not the normal thing to do and can take some time to do.
Men’s mental health issues can vary from person to person and it’s important to understand this, for example when it comes to black men and mental health, black men are more likely to experience mental health issues according to BAME mental health foundation. A person can experience mental health very differently depending on background and upbringing, everything is a factor to take into account and it’s not easy.
Male Suicide Awareness
Getting some facts from the Samaritans men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women, which is a huge amount, in the UK and Ireland there were 6,859 suicides and that’s on the rise. The amount of men who died from suicide last year was 4,903 which is a staggering amount and goes to show that mens mental health is no joke, with a steady increase each year in male suicide rates.
If you suspect someone of having mental health issues, it’s always important to not let them deal with it alone. Seek medical advice and help, there’s no shame in going to your GP and finding the next steps needed to combat mental health issues.
Donating To Mens Mental Health
There are various ways you can donate, get involved or help support mens mental health and mens mental health organisations. To begin with you can donate to charity shops, I prefer to donate to independent charity shops if I’m going to although I prefer to support in other ways, such as buying from companies that donate a portion of their profit to organisations that do good for mens mental health, a couple are below.
Bluebeards Revenge Hair Gel
So to begin with, I love Bluebeards revenge products, they’re great for my hair and the hold is perfection. That being said, this tub of gel does the world of good to mens mental health organisations. With every tub sold 50p is donated to The Lions Barber Collective, an organisation that supports men dealing with mental health and works on male suicide prevention. The Lions Barber Collective is a group of international barbers who raise awareness and support men to improve their mental health and prevent suicide. Their charity number is: 1176363 if you want to look into them further.
Athens Headphones
With the sale of these headphones, a portion of the profits go towards the Tim Bergling (Avicii) foundation and help raise awareness for mens mental health following his tragic suicide, which many can connect with on an emotional level. The foundation helps men who are struggling mentally and have had thoughts of suicide or have maybe attempted taking their own life before and have now sought help. You can find more information on how Urbanista is helping the Tim Bergling foundation and mens mental health here.
Understanding Mens Mental Health
Mental health can be tough and difficult to understand, if a person isn’t dealing with mental health themselves or hasn’t dealt with it personally it can be difficult to spot the signs of mental decline and mental health symptoms or knowing the various mental health triggers that are both universal and personal to the person in question. Hopefully this post has helped with coming to terms with male mental health and mental health as a whole concept.
If you’re in need of mental health team I would always suggest booking an appointment with your GP or reaching out to a professional or crisis team within your area who will be able to refer you to help or help you themselves. The stigma for mens mental health is fading and it’s not a weakness to ask for help.
