We’re ignoring the stigma surrounding mental health that stops many men from seeking help when they need it most — and it’s literally killing them.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, men died by suicide at a rate of 3.54 percent higher than women in 2017.
美国心理健康reports 6 million men are affected by depression in the United States every single year.
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And men are also
Depression and suicide are ranked as a主要死亡原因among men, and yet they’re still far less likely to seek mental health treatment than women.
“I think part of it may be this macho thing,”Dr. Raymond Hobbs, a physician consultant at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, told Healthline. “A lot of guys don’t want to admit they have this problem. They still see depression as a sign of weakness.”
He was clear that this type of thinking is outdated, a relic of previous generations that doesn’t speak to the current medical understanding of mental illness.
“We know so much more now, and we recognize the chemical changes that take place. In many ways, mental illness is just like diabetes, or any other physical condition,” he said.
但是霍布斯指出，很多人并不是那样看。取而代之的是，他们仍然将心理健康斗争视为个人问题和缺乏个人毅力。
因此，仍然存在围绕精神疾病的污名（更不用说，对男人总是坚强的压力），许多男人努力承认他们可能需要帮助。
“There is work for us to do as a society regarding the stigma of asking for help,”扎克·莱文（Zach Levin）of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation told Healthline. “While we have done a much better job of reducing stigma and expanding opportunities for support, men still may be experiencing shame and guilt that could lead to them being less willing to ask for help.”
But it’s not just asking for help that men seem to struggle with.
“When you’re talking about toxic masculinity,” Hobbs explained, “it really comes down to the way males are brought up. They way we’re taught to be strong and quiet. If you look at the old John Wayne movies, that was the model we were supposed to aspire to. But it’s also a model that is dysfunctional in many ways.”
This model of masculinity may be why men are more likely tounderreportsymptoms of depression. But certain, more traditionally masculine traits can also contribute to increased rates of depression, according to
When the negative impact is an increase in depressive symptoms, substance misuse can often follow.
“If men are less willing to ask for help, they will continue to experience the symptoms contributing to depression,” Levin said. “Drug use is often a maladaptive coping strategy.”
As he puts it, when people struggling with depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions aren’t embracing healthy coping resources, they may turn to alcohol and other drugs as a way to numb the pain.
The problem is, how do we as a society change men’s perception of seeking help before they get to that point?
Levin says a lot of men fall prey to the false idea that they should be “tough enough” to fix all their problems on their own. They worry that by showing vulnerability, even in the case of physical illness, they may lose their authority with others.
As a result, “They may believe they can fix this problem quickly and move on to the next — and they may be in denial that there is a problem at all,” Levin said.
Addressing that, and helping men work past it, requires first ending the stigma of asking for help.
“We can all foster more transparency around mental health and substance abuse issues,” Levin said. “No one is immune to stress. Talking with others about how it is affecting you can foster empathy, camaraderie, and support — all of which fight against the feelings of isolation on which addiction and mental health issues can thrive.”
Hobbs believes a lot of this comes down to education as well.
“We need people to realize that these are medical problems, that there are good treatments available, and that there is hope involved,” he said.
Hobbs also wants people to know that untreated mental health issues can very quickly manifest into physical ailments, especially when people are self-treating with alcohol and other substances.
“Cirrhosis, gastritis, bleeding problems, actual changes that occur in the brain: We need people to realize that there is a real physical downside to long-term alcohol abuse,” Hobbs said.
For Hobbs, awareness and education play the biggest role in terms of what can be done to help people as early as possible.
“你必须与亲人交谈。有所有这些很棒的选择可以提供帮助，但是首先，他们必须愿意尝试它们。”他说。
If you’re worried that someone you care about may be struggling, or you think that you yourself need help, Hobbs says to look for these signs that indicate a need for outside assistance:
- 心情改变
- difference in work performance
- weight changes
- 悲伤，绝望或不安（失去愉悦的丧失，远离以前提供享受的事物）
- physical symptoms, such as headaches and stomach issues
如果您在亲人中认识到这些症状中的任何一种，Levin建议提醒他们寻求帮助可能是力量而不是弱点的迹象，并且在2019年，我们有很多可用的资源。
尝试安排与初级保健提供者或药物使用障碍专业人员的约会（如果使用酒精或其他药物自我治疗的情况）。
“It is much more palatable to propose a single appointment with a specialist to determine whether a problem exists than to propose the commitment of an inpatient or outpatient treatment program to your loved one,” Levin explained.
Still, if scheduling that appointment seems too daunting, he says that the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation offers free, phone-based appointments and can be reached by calling 877-863-8045.
“There is hope. Help is available. Educate yourself about your or your loved one’s addiction and mental health issues. Participate in peer support groups or family support, such as Al-Anon, Families Anonymous, or a support group for families coping with addiction and mental health issues,” Levin said.
对待这些问题,我们必须得到acr的消息oss that it’s OK to ask for help, whether for yourself, your loved ones, or anyone you think may need it.
对于那些克服了自己生活中心理健康障碍的人，不要害怕分享自己的故事。有时减少污名意味着愿意谈论我们需要寻求帮助的时代。
If you think you or a loved one may be in immediate crisis, call theNational Suicide Prevention Hotline对资源和支持t 800-273-8255.