5 Ways to Help Men With Their Mental Health
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In Calgary, an organization promoting mental health awareness has initiated a project which covers online support for men suffering from mental health issues. The initiative utilized the online platform through a private forum, Facebook page, and peer-to-peer sessions in the community to encourage male members of their community to open up and share their struggles.
According to organization founders, their locality suffered seven losses due to suicide since June this year. According to them, they launched the project to give men in Calgary an avenue to go to if they are struggling with problems like deep-seated trauma, financial woes, losses, breakups, family problems, and other challenges that might need peer intervention.
This just shows that men must also keep an eye on their mental health status and governments and organizations must include programs on how to change the support system for men to get them to talk about their situation.
Almost two-thirds of people with mental health problems will not consult a doctor about their ailment. With the stigma surrounding mental disorders, men will often not seek for help or will only find a psychologist or psychiatrist if they have hit rock bottom emotionally.
The problem is, seeking treatment is sometimes the solution to their emotional distress. To be helped, men need to admit that they need help. If you know someone suffering from a mental disorder, here are things that you can do to help them:
1. Set a time to listen without distractions.
Have a listening ear. But if you decide that you want to listen to a male friend, make sure that you set time to talk without distractions. You will only make matters worse if you initiate the conversation but you cannot concentrate because of other things. Give him an open avenue and a non-judgemental ear.
And when he starts to talk, let him share as much or as little as he wants to. You are there not to command the conversation, but to listen. Let him take the lead of your conversation and adjust to his pace of revealing things. If he is not ready to talk about something, do not pressure him. Do not expect him to tell you everything in one sitting.
When he finally decides to share his problems with you, take care to keep everything confidential. You might be the first and only person he opened up to, so consider all information precious and keep the conversation within yourselves, unless he expresses willingness to tell other people.
2. Do not diagnose what they are feeling.
If you decide to help someone, have in mind that you are not a doctor or a specialist who can diagnose diseases. If he opens up about how he feels, listen but do not give advice or worse, recommend medicines that “might” cure him. Do not make sweeping statements like:
“You have depression for sure.”
“You are having severe anxiety.”
“That’s what depressed people usually do.”
“I have a friend who had depression before and he took this over the counter medicine.”
Remember, you being there is already a big help. Do not assume the role of a doctor when you are talking to your friend or loved one.
3. Discuss holistic well-being too.
If he is not too keen on discussing what he is feeling, open up other conversations. Casually talk about his physical well-being. Be interested in what he eats and what he usually does every day. If he agrees, you can invite him to start a simple daily exercise regimen. If you are neighbors, invite him for morning brisk walking or jogging. If you are far away from each other and cannot meet because of social protocols and quarantine restrictions, invite him to exercise together online. Or, you can also volunteer to pay for his one-week meal plan. If he cannot fully open about his feelings, at least help him open up about his diet and exercise.
4. Introduce him to online peer support groups.
As the local group in Calgary will attest, providing online support for the mental wellbeing of men will already make a huge difference. Find an online group or forum where your friend or loved one can join and voice out anonymously. Because it is online, he can hide under an avatar or code name and join discussions without revealing his identity if he is still not ready to divulge who he is. The important thing is he gets an avenue to talk to others regarding similar problems and he also has an opportunity to share from his experiences.
5. Encourage him to get professional help.If he is still not ready to approach a walk in clinic Calgary, perhaps he will be more comfortable seeking professional help through online clinics. You can introduce him to online doctors who can diagnose and give treatment options without him leaving his home.