Men & Mental Health

While mental illnesses affect both men and women, the prevalence of mental illnesses in men is often lower than women. Men with mental illnesses are also less likely to have received mental health treatment than women in the past year. However, men are more likely to die by suicide than women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Men's Mental Health is a silent crisis. We get so wrapped up in the masculinity of a man and our ideas of what we think they should or shouldn’t feel, we lose sight of them still being human at the end of the day.

Warning Signs

Some symptoms include:

• Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness

• Noticeable changes in mood, energy level, or appetite

• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much

• Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless, or on edge

• Increased worry or feeling stressed

• Misuse of alcohol and/or drugs

• Sadness or hopelessness

• Suicidal thoughts

• Feeling flat or having trouble feeling positive emotions

• Engaging in high-risk activities

• Aches, headaches, digestive problems without a clear cause

• Obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior

• Thoughts or behaviors that interfere with work, family, or social life

• Unusual thinking or behaviors that concern other people

Improving your physical health can also have a positive influence on your mental health. In fact, aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety, improve sleep, improve your mood and self-esteem, reduce social isolation (when performed in a group setting), and reduce stress and anxiety.