Why Men’s Health Isn’t Just An Issue In November.
While the stigma surrounding men’s mental health is breaking down, there’s a long road to go for so many.
With November drawing to a close, we must continue to spread awareness on men’s health. The normalised view that men shouldn’t have the same emotions as women is still ongoing despite society gradually attempting to reverse the stigma around the problem.
Movember started in 2003, routing in Australia with two mates, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, meeting up at a pub and creating the idea to grow out their moustaches with 30 other men. Originally, concepted from a friend’s mother who was fundraising for breast cancer, the group paid £10 to grow the ‘mo.’ The charity was established in 2004 and the company was officially registered.
Coventry University Football Club taking part in November. Raising £736 with one week to go, the club have claimed: “They are very proud to be raising money for this incredible charity.”
Speaking to Prostate Cancer UK: “1 in 8 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime… factors such as getting older, family history of cancer and being black can increase likelihood.”
They also added: “Prostate cancer doesn’t usually cause any symptoms… this makes it more essential to know about the risk.”
For more information, check out: https://prostatecanceruk.org
Why are companies adapting their Movember campaigns to focusing more on mental health?
The idea was to support prostate cancer as their primary cause. However, with the growing barrier of mental health lowering year by year, November has grown to focus on men’s health as a whole.
According to statistics from Men’s Mental Health Forum, over three out of four suicides are by men with it becoming the largest cause of death for under 35-year-olds. There are a range of reasons believe by scientists and psychologists for this, but the dominant factor is the concept is toxic masculinity and the single-minded view of what a man should be.
An average look at how many men kill themselves a day. 525,000 men a year commit suicide.
The fear of talking out and speaking openly about issues is looked down upon in preference to being the main support guard for families. Despite the accessibility to psychological therapies, only 36% of all referrals are men. The concern of this statistic is most suicides and mental health research indicate men are more likely to suffer.
How are men dealing with their issues when it’s difficult to speak?
Statistics found by Beyond Blue, one in seven young men aged between 16 and 24 experience depression or anxiety each year. We spoke to 20-year-old, Josh Whitter, who has had struggles with his mental wellbeing from a young age but has found ways to overcome this with ways other than the route of professionals.
Josh Whitter is 20-year-old Graduate Apprentice from Birmingham. He is regarded as the ‘funny man’ of the group, but wants to speak more openly on the issue of mens mental health.
“I think that it can be really difficult to be growing up in this world where mental health has become such an increasing issue. Especially anxiety… I began my career as an apprentice quantity surveyor and felt wrong for feeling anxious about my new path. Yes, there are more discussions around the issue but the stigma is something I can’t see disappearing any time soon.”
He added: “One of the main things that I’ve noticed being on most social media platforms is the number of other men talking about their struggles. It’s not in the normal way that you would expect it to be… I see a lot of jokes and memes… almost dark humour. But it makes me feel like I’m not alone.”
@joshwhitter - TikTok. The 20-year-old has over 40,000 likes with his ‘meme’ type videos.
With the little number of men going out and seeking professional help, we asked Josh about what helps him when struggling: “Like the memes, it’s stupid things like group chats with the mates and being able to just know you have people around you who care. Discussing our favourite Marvel movies, or organising football, or even going to the pub and most importantly, joking around with each other.”
What can you do to help?
Findings from The Get It Off Your Chest Report found that the main struggle for men struggling to seek help for their mental health is embarrassment. 28% of men would feel embarrassed to seek help which is 7% more than women. This can make it difficult when helping friends and families with their struggles.
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The symptoms to look out for men or women struggling with depression can include:
· Turning down going out with friends or cancelling plans on the day
· Being more emotional or angry
· Extreme tiredness often
· Weight changes the gaining or losing considerable weight
· Red eyes that look like they have been crying
· Memories being forgetful
Mental Health Foundation UK advise to do these few things when noticing a friends struggles. Firstly, sit them aside and let them talk as much as they feel comfortable with. It’s a great first step in helping. Secondly, do not diagnose them with anything nor invalidate any of these feelings. It’s great to talk to a friend but you must remember you’re not a professional. Thirdly, understand your limits. Don’t push them to talking about anything and try to make all questions open-ended.
If you want to learn more make sure to check out any of the charities included in this article.
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