[Men's mental health, article 1]
Sitting down to write about men’s mental health is a huge and daunting task. I didn’t know where to begin in terms of writing an article that might be helpful, wise and reassuring. I considered that, exactly like mental health and well-being, it’s probably best to tackle the different aspects of it in smaller, easier to manage sections.
This is how I would suggest we should approach anything that’s overwhelming to us – identify the parts that make up the whole and see how we manage or improve each one of those parts. It’s also how we start in individual sessions – starting at the beginning and working our way through.
So, my first article is going to be focused on defining your mental health and well-being and working out where you are right now. That’s a good place to start.
According to MentalHealth.org.uk (October 2021), “one in eight men has a common mental health problem such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)”. And as the information states, this only includes the reported cases so the real picture could be quite different. If you are showing any of the following signs, it is likely that you need to explore things further (and we’ll come on to how in our next article).
Understanding how you feel, taking the time to recognise your current frame of mind and even just considering a change are all positive and important steps in helping yourself feel better.
Here are five things to consider in relation to your overall well-being:
Feeling anxious
Our ‘fight or flight’ mechanism is firmly part of our evolutionary make-up. However feeling as though you are constantly in a state of fight or flight is an indicator that all is not well. Feeling anxious, worried or stressed should be temporary moods that tell us something is wrong and is perfectly normal. It’s the amount of time that you’re in this state that is key.
Less social contact and difficulty interacting
Do you find yourself avoiding people or social situations more than you used to? This is a hard one to assess right now as we have all been more isolated as a result of the pandemic lockdown. We are also likely to be carrying over a few habits from this prolonged period of time – keeping our distance, not hugging anyone and avoiding crowds for example. However, turning down invitations, avoiding social situations and being more solitary than usual can be a sign of low mood and something to be aware of.
Change in eating or sleeping patterns
Keeping a food diary and a note of your sleeping times is a good way to measure any changes you might be experiencing. Unplanned weight gain or loss could indicate a lack of thought around eating which could lead to longer term health issues. Also, sleep – too much or too little – isn’t good for us and could be a cause for concern. In tandem, these are two essential parts of our overall health that need to be serving you well.
Low energy and lack of interest
A lack of energy usually fuels a decrease in interest and ‘being bothered’ about things you would usually be involved in. This can be as basic as personal hygiene right through to exercise levels and the consequence of your low energy on work and relationships. A lack of energy can also result from the previous point about eating and sleeping properly – you can see how everything is starting to link together.
Mood swings
Do some days feel confusing – where you can be happy one minute and very sad the next? Can you go from feeling really angry to thoroughly defeated and hopeless? This is an indication that you are less in control of how you feel than you’d like and certainly something to look at further.
What’s next?
Measuring how you feel is a difficult science as it seems unquantifiable and also it is likely to change from one day to the next. However if your general state feels unmanageable or is having an impact on your ability to get through each day, it’s probably time to recognise that and find a way through it.
While this month’s theme is around men’s mental health, these symptoms are just as likely to affect women too, but generally speaking men deal with things differently and that’s what we’ll talk about next.
Like I said right at the beginning, it is best to break things down to make small steps towards a better future. We can look at how you start moving forward positively in the next article. If you need help now, contact me – I am empathetic, gentle and will simply start things off with a chat. It’s so important that your mental health gets the attention it needs and deserves.
References
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