All of the evidence suggests that men’s mental health is currently suffering the highest rates of issues ever recorded. Suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 45 with elevated rates of substance abuse in men from all backgrounds across the UK.
Men’s Engagement with Mental Health
Men between the ages of 18-65 have the lowest rates of use of mental health services of any sector of UK society. Even when it is clear that they are struggling, men are significantly less likely to engage with mental health services than women, and those figures fall even further when we start talking about BAME men.
The Silent Crisis in the UK Today
What can we draw from this?
That male mental health is the silent crisis in the UK today and that men aren’t engaging with or getting the help they need.
Monicavaro.uk aims to change that.
This regular blog will explore why men are suffering more than ever before, discussing topics from masculinity and changing male roles to common recurring themes in mental health diagnoses such as divorce and unemployment.
Find out how men’s mental health issues manifest and how to recognise them, discussing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia and panic attacks.
We’ll also look at how to address and alleviate mental health issues, including talking about the types of help available, support programmes, and everyday strategies that you can use to help improve your mental health.
We aim to help get rid of the stigmas that still surround the topic of men and mental health. These stigmas remain the primary reason men don’t get the help they need.
Men’s Mental Health: You’re Not Alone
As part of that, if you’re reading this and you’ve ever felt depressed and down, lonely and isolated, or afraid and anxious, please be reassured that you are not alone. As we’ve highlighted above, what you’re going through is common. Help is available. The hardest part is the first step. Reaching out for the first time can be terrifying. Many people find it easier to endure the pain that they’re in rather than take that first step. People are put off by long NHS waiting lists, the thought of being labelled and admitting that they can’t cope anymore.
Well, it’s okay to admit that you can’t cope anymore.
It’s okay to ask for help.
It’s okay not to have your life together, to feel depressed and flat; to feel overwhelmed; to be sad or anxious. It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to not know when the next wave is coming to knock you off your feet. You generally ignore when the next moment of respite will come in what you are currently suffering. These are perfectly normal feelings. Every man has them.
It’s okay to talk about them too.
What’s not okay is to carry on suffering in silence.
It’s not okay to keep stuffing your feelings down and ignoring them. That’s dangerous.
If you’ve read this, you’ve already taken that difficult first step.
So, let’s talk about it.
Monica Varo is an Integrative Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist, Master NLP Practitioner and Lucid Dreaming Facilitator based in West London, specialising in personal and working relationships, anxiety and stress, self-esteem, confidence, limiting beliefs and weight management. Call 07772 467444 for more information.
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