Men have certain mental health concerns that need to be considered if they are to be healthy and to live happily. Whether you are a man looking to improve his mental health, or you just want to make sure that you are aware of the common issues the men in your life might be going through, this is something that you should think about. As it happens, there are quite a few key things to think about when it comes to understanding male mental health.
In this post, we are going to discuss some of the most important factors related to this. As long as you are aware of the following, you should find that it’s much easier to understand and care for your mental health as a man.
Talking About Mental Health
One of the most pressing known problems around mental health in men is that men are much less likely to talk about their mental health at all. That can be problematic for a number of reasons, not least the fact that they are less likely to get the help they need, which can result in a worsening and worsening situation. This situation can sometimes have pretty dire results, so it’s something that clearly needs to be avoided.
So the main thing is to try and talk about your mental health if you are a man. That means overcoming the pressures of society and simply talking about what you are feeling and what you are going through. As long as you can do that, it’s the kind of thing that is going to make a huge difference to how you feel.
That might mean talking to a friend close to you, your partner, or even getting some therapy or counseling. In any case, as hard as it can be, talking about these things is always going to be really important.
Alcohol & Drug Abuse
Related to that is the fact that men are considerably more likely to resort to using alcohol or drugs in order to manage and cope with their symptoms, whether that is depression, anxiety, grief or whatever else. In the long run, using drugs in this way does more harm than good, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy to avoid doing it at all. If you find yourself drawn to this kind of behavior, you may want to think about some of the things you can do to overcome the temptation.
Of course, that can be enormously challenging, and it’s not the kind of thing that you can merely magically achieve. But as long as you have a plan for working with it, there is every chance that you will be able to avoid this kind of problem, which can prove to be really important for the sake of your health and well-being going forward.
If you already have a problem with alcohol or drugs, then recognizing it is the main thing you need to do. Once you have, you can then start to get help for the problem, whether that is at an official rehab facility or whatever else it might be. The sooner you get help with this kind of problem, the better it is going to be for you.
Depression In Men
Some people believe that depression is different in men compared to women. While it is the same illness in both, there is certainly something to be said for the idea that it can present differently. Essentially this is about a difference in symptoms. With men, there are certain symptoms that you are going to see much more often compared to in women. That includes irritability, having sudden bouts of anger, and an increasing loss of control.
Some of these symptoms can also lead to dangerous or risk-taking behaviors, and this seems to be more prevalent in men than in women. Aggression is another one that is particularly common in men. All in all, then, it is still the same depression in both sexes, but for men it can look slightly different to how it looks in women.
For the individual trying to get help, this might not be so relevant or important – but it is something that the people close to you might want to know. Understanding how depression is likely to appear in a man can really help a lot with knowing what is going on and helping them with it, so that’s something to be aware of here.
Suicide
When it comes to suicide, it has to be said that this is a much more prevalent situation in men than in women. In fact, the shocking truth is that suicide is the main leading cause of death in men under the age of 40. This clearly points to an incredibly fractious and difficult situation socially, and it’s something that we all need to try and understand and work with in some way or another.
Three quarters of suicides are men. There are also higher rates of suicide in men who are from ethnic minority backgrounds, or who are on the lower end of the social spectrum. These are all factors that come into play and which can lead to an increased likelihood of suicide in men.
If you have been thinking about suicide, then you should try to get help as soon as possible. It’s important for your own sake and those around you that you don’t leave it to worsen. Of course, asking for help is not easy, but it is nonetheless an important thing to try and do.
Mood Changes In Men
Despite unhelpful societal ideas around women being subject to mood swings, the fact is that this is just as common in men. While it can look different, it is fundamentally the same thing: hormones acting on the brain and body in such a way as to alter mood drastically. And the mood changes that men experience can indeed be quite profound. There is one thing in particular that is closely related to the experience of mood changes in men: testosterone.
In fact, there is strong evidence that depression often has its roots in men’s low testosterone. This can happen as part of the natural ebb and flow of hormonal changes that we go through, or it might be that you have chronically low testosterone. That will generally result in low mood, so it’s something that needs to be looked into as soon as possible.
As it happens, there are actually solutions to low testosterone. A good example is the likes of Male Excel, which is a clinic for men with low testosterone and related problems. Actually, testosterone can be boosted significantly, leading to improvements in mood and a reduction of the symptoms of depression and related problems.
So if you think you might have low testosterone, it’s important that you get this checked out. It is not merely a cosmetic problem.
What Can Help: Sleep
One of the most important things that can help a man to have better mental health is sleep. Getting enough sleep is one of those things that can really make a huge difference to your mental health at all times. If you don’t think you are getting enough sleep, then you should make sure that you are making the necessary changes to get it. That can include cutting down on caffeine and alcohol, keeping a good diet and having a regular routine for bedtime. If you can do that, you are going to find that you have more sleep in no time.
Of course, having a comfortable bed helps too!
Diet & Exercise
As well as getting enough sleep, you should also make sure that you are getting enough exercise, and that your diet is as good as possible. These things are vital to ensuring that your mental health is going to be as good as possible. With diet, what you need to look into is making sure that you are getting a good balance of different kinds of foods. In particular, aim to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, and that should help a lot.
And when it comes to exercise, you might not need as much as you think. As long as you are exercising two or three times a week, that is going to help here a lot. It’s something that will improve your mood considerably and give you a much better fighting chance of having good mental health.
As you can see, there are a few things to be aware of regarding male mental health. As long as you have thought about those, you should find that you are going to have a much better chance of looking after yourself, and being and living happily.
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