GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)
— Each Monday during the month of November, News 8 is celebrating Movember
Mondays — an opportunity to shed light on men’s health issues.
“No Shave
November” and “Movember” are national campaigns to raise this
awareness and to help start conversations with men and their families that may
otherwise go unspoken.
In this week’s Movember
Monday on Daybreak, Blue Care Medical Director Dr. Denice Logan talked about
the importance of recognizing mental health issues in men.
“Men don’t usually
talk about how they feel about something,” Logan said. “You can
actually look at them and you are familiar with their surroundings; if they’re
suffering from grief in any manner. Grief meaning the loss of a loved one, the
loss of a relationship, a new birth, a new death, divorce, marriage, loss of a
job, all of those kinds of things.”
Logan adds that a lack of
success in education or at work can be contributing factors to the start of a
mental health problem. She says it’s important to notice when men begin to
isolate themselves or become hopeless and helpless.
“You need to reach
out to them,” Logan said. “Let them know that they’re not alone.
Share with them, let them know that you too are going through something that’s
difficult.”
According to the American Foundation
for Suicide Prevention, men are nearly four times as likely to die by
suicide than women. The rate of suicide is highest among middle-aged white men;
they account for nearly 70 percent of suicides.
“It is very
difficult to talk about because remember we have always said, ‘real men don’t
cry’,” Dr. Logan said about myths surrounding men and mental health.
“Men have this masculine, macho about themselves. So, they will actually
disregard or ignore some of those symptoms.”
Logan says that men need
to walk the walk and get help when symptoms surrounding their mental health
begin to interfere with their daily lives — work, home or education. She also
says to notice your relationships. If your mental health is affecting how you
interact with a spouse, partner, parent or your child, that too is a sign to reach
out and get help.
“When you call for
help, make sure you say to that receptionist who’s answering that phone, ‘I
have some mental health issues’ because you don’t need an appointment six
months out,” Dr. Logan stressed.
If you or someone you
know is struggling with their mental health and are in immediate need of help,
call the Suicide Prevention Hotline 24/7 at 1.800.273.8255.
