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Supporting each other through laughter and connection, raising awareness for men's mental health. Let’s Talk About It (Seriously, Guys) Men’s mental health awareness. It’s a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention, and honestly, it’s about time we change that. Society has long pushed the idea that men need to be "tough," "stoic," and "unshakable." But let’s be real—bottling up emotions like a shaken soda can only leads to an inevitable explosion. So, let’s break the silence. Here’s why men’s mental health matters and why it’s okay (actually, necessary) to talk about it. The Unique Struggles Men Face Mental health challenges don’t discriminate, but the way they show up in men can be a little different. Here are some key struggles that often go unnoticed: 1. The “Man Up” Mentality From a young age, many men are taught that showing emotion is a sign of weakness. Crying? Nope. Admitting you’re struggling? Not a chance. This outdated mindset creates an internal battle where men feel they should  handle everything on their own—even when they’re drowning. 2. Depression Doesn’t Always Look Like Sadness When people think of depression, they often picture someone looking sad or withdrawn. But in men, depression can look like anger, irritability, risky behavior, or excessive workaholism.  This means it often goes unnoticed (or misdiagnosed), leading men to suffer in silence. 3. Less Likely to Seek Help Stats show that men are far less likely to seek therapy or talk about their struggles. Why? Because admitting you need help can feel like admitting defeat, even though it’s actually the strongest thing you can do. 4. High Suicide Rates This is a tough one, but it needs to be said. Globally, men die by suicide at significantly higher rates than women. The stigma around seeking help, combined with societal pressure to “tough it out,” creates a dangerous cocktail of unaddressed pain. Breaking the Stigma: What Can We Do? Good news: The conversation around men’s mental health is changing. Here’s how we can keep pushing forward: ✅ Normalize Talking About Feelings  – Whether it’s with a friend, a therapist, or even journaling, expressing emotions is not  a weakness—it’s a human necessity. ✅ Encourage Seeking Help  – Therapy isn’t just for crisis moments. It’s like a mental gym—keeping your mind strong and healthy. ✅ Redefine Strength  – True strength isn’t suppressing emotions; it’s facing them head-on. Asking for help is one of the bravest things a man can do. ✅ Support Each Other  – If you notice a friend acting differently, check in. Sometimes, a simple "Hey, how are you really  doing?" can open the door for an important conversation. Final Thoughts: You’re Not Alone To every man out there struggling in silence— you are not alone.  Men's mental health awareness is a relevant and important topic of discussion. Your feelings are valid. Your struggles are real. And help is  available. Let’s break the cycle, ditch the outdated "man up" mentality, and create a world where men feel safe to talk about their mental health. It starts with a conversation. Let’s keep talking. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please reach out for help. Resources like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988) and crisis text lines are available 24/7. You don’t have to go through this alone.

This is something men are often told or feel due to the stigma surrounding receiving mental health support. As boys, we are often raised to mask or suppress our feelings and emotions. Things such as “boys don’t cry,” “there’s no crying in baseball,” “suck it up buttercup,” “what are you? Some kind of sissy?” come to mind when thinking of things I was told by adults and peers when I was a young boy. Several men I know have reiterated being told these and worse things when they were young.  So why does any of this matter? It matters because it shapes the long-term way that men view themselves, their emotions, and in many ways, what ways they are allowed to or the things they should do to cope with their upsetting thoughts or emotions. If we as men are not supposed to have emotions like being sad, depressed, or anxious, what does that mean when we do have those emotions? Are we a failure? Are we not a man? What if someone finds out? Will they think less of us? Am I weak and less desirable? Men are often not seeking mental health services due to having to openly face these senses of shame and embarrassment. Suicide rates among men are four times higher than that of women (CDC) although women attempt suicide twice as often as men. What can be done? As usual, it’s easier to ask the question than it is to provide the answer. Support and encourage the men in our lives to seek mental health services if needed. We should  present it as a valid option and assist in locating resources.  Work on reducing stigma with young boys. Begin discussing emotions and mental health at an early age. Encourage the men in our lives to talk about their emotions. Be prepared to be met with some resistance here. They may joke or make light of the request because it makes them uncomfortable or they are not honestly sure how to respond. Encourage healthy forms of self-care, such as activities they find enjoyment and meaning in. Encourage and support healthy social relationships with others. Have conversations about mental health. This post is not intended to imply that men are the only group of people struggling with mental health. There are many different groups and demographics with significant mental health needs. I felt it is important to discuss men because in many ways, they are an often underserved and overlooked population that I enjoy working with in my practice and hope to help as many as I can. Mental health stigma in general needs to be addressed and eradicated. I hope to do my part by addressing this issue with men and any other client groups that I am privileged to work with in my practice.

Wintery snow and time off from work. Decorations, Christmas tress, and an abundance of delicious food. The anticipation of seeing family and friends that we might not have seen for months or even years. For most of us, the holidays are a mix of happiness and sadness. While it might seem odd to think of the holidays in this way, it is often how people feel. We are conflicted. We value the time spent with our loved one, the memories made, ponder years past, and think of resolutions for the year to come. We find ourselves worrying about what will go wrong. Will we be stressed out during a trip to see a loved one? Will our plane be delayed or will there be an unexpected snowstorm that ruins our plans? Will "Aunt Susie" or "Uncle Jack" have a repeat of their inappropriate behavior from last year? Only time will tell. So how do we make it through the holidays and enjoy our time with family and friends? How might we enjoy ourselves and not spend time worried about the things we fear will happen? Preparation and planning are good places to start. During the holidays (as well as the rest of the year I hope), we are happy to see our friends and family and spend time with them. Time is one of our most valuable assets since we can never get more of it. Family will often travel to be together, and all will make sacrifices to be with the one’s they love. The sadness that people often feel during the holidays could be from an empty chair reminding us of the loss of a loved one. Maybe the stress of trying to be everything to everyone so our friends and family can have the perfect holiday is making us feel sad. The unresolved conflict with a loved one that has no end in sight may have left us completely stressed. The anger and frustration that can come with difficult family members or friends can be incredibly challenging to deal with and can turn the best of days into the worst of days. With all of this in mind, the question becomes what can we do to make the holidays as special and stress free as possible? How do we make them what we hope they will be each year? First, we know the holidays are stressful and it can often help to anticipate the stresses we will face. For example, if we know that a family member is difficult to tolerate, we can devise a plan before the holidays for how we will respond. If we know that someone has a knack for telling inappropriate jokes at the table, we can anticipate that behavior and inform them that jokes need to be appropriate for all family members. Hosting a holiday meal can also be stressful. Make a list of everything you need before the event. If you forget a key ingredient remind yourself that the holidays are about being with the people you love. Ask those loved ones to make a quick trip to the store or bring something from home to help out. Second, being forgiving can be a game changer. As difficult as it might be to believe, most of us are doing our best when we are with our friends and family. Sometimes, our best might not seem like it is enough. If we are intentional in our forgiveness, we will change the way in which we perceive and respond to things. If our first thought is why is "Uncle Joe" doing that, as opposed to "Uncle Joe" is doing that to make me angry, our perspective shifts and we allow for options that don’t immediately assume that "Uncle Joe" is out to ruin the holidays or make us angry in some way. Maybe he is having a bad day and is not sure how to best deal with what he is experiencing. This would not excuse his behavior but would shift our perspective in a way that might allow for understanding and discussion. In my humble experience, I appreciate forgiveness when I have a bad day or make a mistake. I can think of many times that I said something that was misinterpreted, this way, it only seems fair to be forgiving to others when appropriate. Third, it is important to set boundaries. The word boundary often has a negative connotation. Simply put, boundaries are a lot like rules in a game. In football, a player might go out of bounds thus ending the play. In this example, the player went outside of the boundaries of play and there was an immediate consequence. In any relationship, there are boundaries. There are things that we can say or cannot say or do that are deemed appropriate or not. Often, confusion arises when the boundaries are not clear to both parties. That does not mean that the boundaries were not there and that expectations were not in place. The real question is how do we deal with boundary violations? If a family member takes it upon themselves to punish our child in a way we do not approve of, what do we do? This is just one example of a difficult situation we might find ourselves in. There is not always an easy answer. The specifics of the situation will assist us in determining a response. Ultimately, the violation should be addressed to help prevent further and continued violation. The specifics of how this is done will vary by person and circumstance. A lack of action on our part may inadvertently lead the offending party to assume acceptance or approval on our part. The behavior will be more likely to occur again. There’s no doubt that the holidays can be a difficult time for all of us. This post is far from a comprehensive list of scenarios or ways of dealing with a given situation. My hope in writing this is simply that people will have a few ideas of ways to make the holidays more pleasant and less stressful. I get how difficult things can be around the holidays. I want to take a moment to encourage you in your journeys and time spent with loved ones. #mentalhealth #holidays #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #boundaries #holidaystress #stress

Depending on the source, 20-25% of people or more will experience anxiety severe enough to qualify for an anxiety disorder diagnosis. While a full explanation of the different diagnoses of anxiety disorders and their treatment is well beyond the scope of this post, those figures help illustrate the fact that anxiety is a commonly experienced ailment that many people battle and endure daily. Let that sink in. That’s 1 in every 4-5 people. These are our friends, family, co-workers, us. How do people experience anxiety? What are the common signs or symptoms? Irritability Fatigue Trouble concentrating Shaking Feeling weak Difficulty controlling worry Feeling on edge Racing thoughts Anxiety can be experienced as a sense of unease or nervousness. Fear. Stress. Worry. Often, when people are anxious, they will have racing thoughts that can become stressful. It can be hard to focus on the task at hand and can be frustrating when we have a difficult time focusing on a conversation due to our anxiety and associated fear. Knowing that anxiety is commonly experienced, what is helpful to know and what are some things we can do if we find ourselves facing a bout of anxiety? What if we become anxious about being anxious? There are some helpful things to know about anxiety that will help take the mask off of the proverbial boogey man. The information I will provide will be helpful and informative, but I encourage you to seek an appropriately trained professional if you believe you would benefit from treatment of your anxiety. People experience anxiety for a wide variety of reasons (i.e., heights, fear of an animal, flying, public speaking, taking a test, etc.) and the anxiety people experience varies in intensity and duration. We will discuss several. Anxiety can make our world smaller. When people are anxious, they may become less likely to engage in the activity that makes them anxious. For example, if someone becomes anxious at the thought of public speaking, they may avoid public speaking to avoid experiencing the associated anxiety. To a degree, this makes sense. Not wanting to experience anxiety makes sense. The degree of avoidance can become problematic and can lead to people limiting the activities they engage in. In a way, we are rewarded for avoiding the activity that makes us anxious which will make it less likely that we will engage in the activity in the future. If we are not required to speak publicly often, this avoidance may not become a major issue. If we are expected to speak publicly on a regular basis, the anxiety we experience will be more often and potentially more severe. Also, the more things we are anxious about, the more things we might avoid and this is where our world can really begin to shrink. If we are anxious about crowds, public speaking, and heights, we may no longer enjoy going to concerts even if we love music, we may miss presenting on a topic or cause that is important to us, and we may not be comfortable traveling to our dream destinations due to the anxiety we may have about flying. In this example, our world has shrunk significantly and will likely remain that way unless we can address our anxiety. Anxiety and the Future There are several situations when anxiety is about the future. This is often referred to as anticipatory anxiety. Performance anxiety - a person might be involved in a play or performance and start feeling anxious as the performance approaches. They may worry that they will forget the lines or make a mistake that will embarrass them. Test anxiety -a student may have a test in the next week or two and start feeling anxiety. They may have dreams where they fail the test or become more nervous as the day of the exam approaches and they do not feel ready to do well on the test. Social anxiety - involves fear of being around large groups of people and fear of rejection. Identify Anxiety Early Anxiety can often feel like it comes out of nowhere and hits like a ton of bricks. While this is certainly possible, typically, anxiety starts low and becomes more severe. For example, if a person is experiencing test anxiety, they may not initially identify that anxiety and may mistake it for something else. As the test approaches, the anxiety is more likely to become more severe. If anxiety can be identified before it becomes more severe, there’s a chance that the anxiety can be managed and possibly maintained at the lower level. To identify anxiety early, we need to know how anxiety feels to us. Not everyone will experience anxiety in the same way and knowing how we experience it will help us identify those symptoms or signs earlier and hopefully keep it more manageable. Identifying symptoms of anxiety early can help to keep the anxiety at a lower level of distress and help keep things from spiraling and becoming worse. Treatment Talk therapy can help in treating anxiety. Therapeutic modalities can help the client identify the cause(s) of anxiety as well as developing a plan for dealing with situations in the future that are likely to elicit anxiety. One common component of treatment is exposure. Exposing a person to an anxiety stimulus safely can help reduce the Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS) rating which is often used in therapy. This will show a reduction in the degree of distress when experiencing something known to cause anxiety. Exposure must be done carefully and safely. It is important for people to understand that exposure takes time and is not a quick fix. As in all things, please seek appropriate help as needed and do not be afraid to ask questions. As scary and terrible as anxiety can be, there is hope and help that can be found. #anxiety #anxietysymptoms #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #cognitivebehavioraltherapy #cbt

Stigma comes from a lack of knowledge or understanding of an issue. Sadly, there is often a stigma surrounding mental health and mental health treatment. People might feel embarrassed or ashamed at the thought of seeking treatment for a mental health concern. Family and friends may not understand what you are going through if you’re battling depression, anxiety, PTSD or any other mental health concerns. Stigmatization can potentially lead to people not seeking needed help and suffering longer and more intensely leading to further problems and potentially more serious concerns. I think it is important to ask why there is a stigma around mental health conditions and seeking help for those conditions. While considering why there is a stigma, it is also worth considering how we can effectively combat stigma and promote positive change. Hopefully if you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, that person will seek help. Over the course of my career, I have strived to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health whenever I get the opportunity. I have addressed mental health stigma in presentations on suicide prevention and during lectures in college psychology courses I have taught. I will correct others when they make insensitive comments about mental health keeping in mind that they might not be aware that something they said could be taken as insensitive. By doing this, I am able to provide feedback about mental health stigma and what they can do to help reduce it in the future. By providing this education, I hope to do my part in reducing mental health stigma when the opportunities present themselves. This is something that is important to me. With these things in mind what are some things we can do to combat stigma? · Be mindful of the language you choose when discussing mental health. · If possible, address and correct friends or family if they make light of mental health or are insensitive when discussing mental health. · Remind people that it takes a great deal of strength to seek help and that people who are trying to improve their mental health are strong and valuable. · Do your best to be supportive, understanding, and encouraging with friends, family, or anyone else (including yourself!). · Do not make assumptions about people and what they are experiencing. · Remember that a mental health diagnosis does not define a person anymore than a diagnosis of diabetes or high blood pressure should define someone. · Don’t buy into the stigma. Remember, just because someone says something does not mean it is accurate or kind. · Educate yourself and others when possible. Although there have been some attempts at reducing the stigma surrounding mental health, I think it is fair to say that there is still a lot of work to be done. I encourage you to be kind to others, be kind to yourself, and strive to do what you can to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. Incredible progress is made when many people are kind and supportive of each other! #stigma #mentalhealth #mentalhealthstigma #reducestigma #reducementalhealthstigma #mentalhelathawareness #mentalhealthmatters

According to the Global Self-Care federation website, self-care is “the practice of individuals looking after their own health using the knowledge and information available to them. It is a decision-making process that empowers individuals to look after their own health efficiently and conveniently in collaboration with health and social care professionals as needed.” In the field of mental health, there is a lot of talk about self-care but I would like to take a moment to discuss what self-care is and the benefits it can provide. As can be seen from the definition above, the concept of self-care is broad but informative. There are many activities that are commonly associated with the practice of self-care. Activities such as meditation, exercising, spending time in nature, creative endeavors like writing, crafting, painting, and art are a few examples of things that people do to practice self-care. Self-care can also be something as simple as establishing good boundaries at work and choosing to leave on time. The work will be there for us to finish tomorrow. The practices of self-care don’t tend to be difficult to do if we are intentional. It is easy enough for most people to take a walk or sit down for a few minutes to journal. The difficult part is to be intentional and deliberate in our practice of self-care. Setting aside the 10 minutes at the end of the day or in the morning to engage in a self-care practice can be both difficult and rewarding. It can prove difficult to actually engage in the practice, rewarding once done. If we make self-care a priority, we can eventually establish new habits that are beneficial to our overall well-being. Some possible benefits of self-care: Relaxation Improved concentration Decrease in anxiety Improved mood Better sleep Are there negative consequences for those who do not practice self-care? Or those who might practice self-care occasionally but not regularly? Not necessarily. A brief explanation might be helpful. A person who ignores or does not prioritize self-care practices may see negative effects related to general well-being as well as mental health. They may experience issues related to sleep, mood, difficulty concentrating, feeling tense, among other things. They may experience these things because they are not practicing self-care or for a variety of a multitude of other reasons. This is not to say that people who practice some form of self-care do not experience any of these things. Most of us will get a bad night of sleep from time to time, have a difficult day where we cannot focus, or be in a bad mood once in a while. Ideally, if we have a regular self-care practice, these things will occur less often. We will also have ways of keeping them from getting worse if we sleep poorly for a few nights or we are becoming more irritable and need to destress. I hope that you will consider making self-care a priority. Self-care will not fix every problem we face in life, but it will help smooth out some of the bumps you might be facing. A quick search of self-care techniques or practices will provide a wealth of information and resources that are well beyond the scope of this post. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other. I wish you all nothing but the best! #selfcare #benefitsofselfcare #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness