… the month of the year when we are thinking about the health of men. Wanting them to live a much happier life, a longer and a healthier one.
If we focus now only on men’s mental health, we have to acknowledge that almost 55% of men, and in some regions on this planet even (much) more, do not talk at all about their emotions, about their feelings in their daily life.
They also are going through a lot of troubles like divorce, illness, work, uncertainty, things about their past and future, worries, etcetera.
Not being able to talk about these feelings openly has a huge impact on not only their own mental health in the short and long term, but also on that of the people around them like a partner, children, friends, family, work partners, …
Not wanting to talk about it with friends and family is something we might understand. Because men in general do not like to loose their face as they say. They are sometimes too proud. They feel they have to be the provider, the strong one in the family. The man. This is something within most men for many generations.
And they ignore all the signals within their own body and mind about the state they are in when not feeling fine. Which of course is not good at all.
Many things we can do, and I encourage you to think about this yourself for a while. What can ‘you’ do concerning the mental health of the men in ‘your’ life? Take time to really think about it.
Knowing that many men when asking directly if they are ok or if they want to talk about the problems in their life, they just say all is ok or start to talk about another subject.
We need to keep them aware of the danger of this and in the first instance for themselves. Telling them that not wanting to see the problems and solutions can be indeed very dangerous in the short and long term.
We need to tell them that it is ok to talk about it, to go to someone who listens to them in a secure and private way where they can openly speak about their life at that moment.
Their worries, feelings, etcetera…
They need to feel the support. Let them know it is totally not a weakness talking about feelings, about life. On the contrary.
Let them know how you feel about it, how it affects you… friends, family. And specially saying this with a really concerned voice.
When we all start doing this, little by little, step by step, we will help men in general being much happier, living longer and healthier, in many ways.
Joris Plu
Life & Relationship Counselor
Complementary medicine unit HC
November 19, 2019
Read other news
Online appointment and download of test results through My HC.
Tel.: +34 952 908 628
952908898 Oncology
951829978 Diagnosis by imaging
951829947 Gynecology
952908897 Fertility
951829947 Physiotherapy
