By Nichole A. Cavallaro<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I recently read an article in Men\u2019s Health Magazine by Robert Hicks\u00a0and\u00a0Edward Cooper. It was pretty interesting because it got right to the point of men\u2019s mental health and the wellness surrounding it. And guess what, fellas – mental health and wellness is not just a woman thing! The article listed some very important stats that I\u2019m going to elaborate on just a tad.<\/p>\n
\u201cMen have a much more negative view on therapy than women.\u201d From a professional standpoint, men have outright told me, \u201cI don\u2019t need this, it\u2019s for people who are weak or crazy.\u201d Sorry guy, it\u2019s actually the most efficient, smartest and bravest thing you can ever do for yourself should you want any help in this capacity. What\u2019s the worst that can happen to you if you did seek therapy? Spoiler alert: You\u2019ll be helped and heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen men do use therapy, it is at the point of crisis.\u201d I\u2019m going to have to be on the fence with this one because women do this as well. I can understand why. It\u2019s normal to reach your breaking point and seek assistance. You\u2019re human, you\u2019re supposed to react that way. It\u2019s a common belief that therapy should only intervene at times of crisis and negativity. Not true. In fact, it\u2019s great to have someone check in with you to have that extra layer of support. Of course, therapy should never be forced on to someone because it\u2019s a sacred time where the experience is personal and private. It\u2019s a time that is all about you. Who doesn\u2019t want that? You\u2019re the best expert on yourself so if you want a person to vent to once or twice a month without judging you, therapy is like the best relationship ever! Therapy is also used for educational purposes in that someone living with depression, an addiction or anxiety, can get the proper guidance on how to live their lives. So crisis or not, men are welcome. All are welcome.<\/p>\n
\u201cMen between the ages of 18 and 44 are less likely to go see a doctor than women.\u201d I mean\u2026 I know I\u2019m not alone in this when my spouse refuses to see his doctor when I think he should go. I\u2019m just mindful of my health and thinks he should be too! All you guys need to be! Of course, if it\u2019s a papercut, don\u2019t get carried away. But routine checkups, tests and simply taking care of yourself is vital to your life as well as others in it. And no, WebMD and Google do not count. Neither does YouTube or your buddy. Unless said buddy is a physician.<\/p>\n
\u201c67 percent of men feel their\u00a0mental health\u00a0is secondary to that of a partner.\u201d I mean\u2026 that\u2019s nice and all, but it\u2019d be great for us all to be on the same mental health page, don\u2019t you agree? Men matter, too!<\/p>\n
Although these statistics do not apply to all men, they\u2019re fairly close to the reason why more light is shed on men\u2019s mental health and why it\u2019s equally important for them to be mindful of what they need and want regarding it. If therapy isn\u2019t your cup of joe, then there are other things that can elicit healing and catharsis too. Playing or listening to music, cooking (yes, I know many men who can cook), creating art, indulging in healthy hobbies, reading, working out, talking to supportive friends and family, spending time with a pet, are just to name a few. It\u2019s important to gauge yourself and see if you\u2019re having an off day, an off month or something else. Your mental health, if neglected, will affect your physical health, work performance, sexual drive, family life and relationships, self-esteem and more. There are many helpful resources in your area so you truly are not alone. The only thing you have to be responsible for is making a smart decision to ask for guidance! You\u2019ve got far too many good things in yourself and in your life to assume you don\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nichole is a mental health provider and writes about mental health and wellness issues on her blog, found at\u00a0mentalhealthwellnesstherapy.com\u00a0and\u00a0self-mom.com. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Nichole A. Cavallaro I recently read an article in Men\u2019s Health Magazine by Robert Hicks\u00a0and\u00a0Edward Cooper. It was pretty interesting because it got right to the point of men\u2019s mental health and the wellness surrounding it. And guess what, fellas – mental health and wellness is not just a woman thing! The article…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[126],"tags":[873,733,716],"class_list":["post-2430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-mens-mental-health","tag-mental-health","tag-self-care"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/therapy.jpg?fit=1920%2C1229&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2655,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2655","url_meta":{"origin":2430,"position":0},"title":"SELF-CARE: Philanthropy: Solving the social problem of mental wellness","author":"Staff","date":"November 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"By Nichole A. Cavallaro \u00a0 \u201cPhilanthropy\u00a0can be broadly defined as love for humankind.\u201d Philanthropy exists to improve the wellbeing of humankind in preventing and finding a solution to social problems. 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Cavallaro \u00a0 It\u2019s extremely important to be mindful of the mental health and wellness of women in service \u2014 veterans, first responders, elected officials, journalists. They see things, hear things, feel things, smell things that many of us may not have been exposed to. 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