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Men's Mental Health. 
Mental health is an issue that affects all genders, but men often struggle more with opening up about their emotions and mental health struggles. Men may be more reluctant to talk about their mental health issues due to societal expectations and stigma.
This can make it difficult for men to get the support they need to manage their me
ntal health. It’s important to remember that talking about mental health is a sign of strength, not weakness and that seeking help is not a sign of failure.
There are many resources available to help men manage their mental health and find the support they need.

Each of us has a choice to engage with our own mental health and that of our partners regardless of the sex of the partner, however, for men, this has proved difficult in terms of their ability and willingness to accept they may be struggling.

 

However, it is not just a “man’s issue”, women also contribute to the health of their sons, fathers, brothers, and husbands.

 

Same-sex partners are not excluded, regardless if male or female same-sex, irrespective of whether the person is transgender, identifying as male or female or indeed binary.

 

Men, Males, transgender female to male.

 

Men’s mental health is still a relatively difficult subject to be open, honest and vulnerable about.

 

I work with couples and individuals young and older, and there is still a perception even amongst what could be seen as the young and enlightened that men should do the men’s roles, however, we now add; “I wish he would open more” yet equally stating, “he is supposed to be the breadwinner, but he wants me to go out to work”.

 

Can he equally be absent from the workplace with struggling mental health?

 

Or will he be seen as weak?

 

Is he viewed the same as a woman who is absent from work due to mental health?

 

To create a mentally equal place to talk we must create a place where both in the relationship can be vulnerable and honest, but most important be heard and seen with respect.

 

 

For men to struggle to express vulnerability, it is likely to affect all aspects of relationships, causing depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

 

This can be expressed in anger, and self-destructive behaviours like drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and infidelity in their intimate relationships.

 

We are losing too many of our men to suicide – globally 3:1 (men to women). 

 

News from (BACP) British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

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16 June 2022

Our Public Perception Survey results, released for Men's Health Week, found that men are more likely to go for therapy than 10 years ago.

Public Perceptions Survey results

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Our survey also found that:

  • 79% of men agree it’s more socially acceptable to discuss mental health than five years ago.

  • 69% of men say they’re more aware of mental health issues than five years ago.

  • 68% of men say there’s less of a stigma around mental health compared to five years ago.

  • 71% of men say people might be happier if they talked to a counsellor or psychotherapist about their problems.

  • 69% of men say it’s better for people to talk to someone about their problems rather than to take medication.

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Men are also more likely to go for therapy now than a decade ago. Our research in 2010 found only 18% of men had been for therapy compared to 27% in 2022. However, women are more likely to go for counselling or psychotherapy (39%).

source https://www.bacp.co.uk/

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The Men’s Health Forum has argued that the following might provide a better picture of the state of men’s mental health than the number of clinical diagnoses:

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  • Over three-quarters of people who kill themselves are men (Source: ONS). 

  • Men report significantly lower life satisfaction than women in the Government’s national well-being survey – with those aged 45 to 59 reporting the lowest levels of life satisfaction (Source:  ONS)

  • 73% of adults who ‘go missing’ are men Source: (University of York).

  • 87% of rough sleepers are men Source: (Crisis).

  • Men are nearly three times more likely than women to become alcohol dependent (8.7% of men are alcohol dependent compared to 3.3% of women) (Source:  HSCIC).

  • Men are three times as likely to report frequent drug use than women (4.2% and 1.4% respectively) and more than two-thirds of drug-related deaths occur in men (Source:  Information Centre).

  • Men make up 95% of the prison population (Source:  House of Commons Library). 72% of male prisoners suffer from two or more mental disorders ( Source: Social Exclusion Unit).

  • Men are nearly 50% more likely than women to be detained and treated compulsorily as psychiatric inpatients (Source:  Information Centre).

  • Men have measurably lower access to the social support of friends, relatives and community Source:  (R. Boreham and D. Pevalin).

  • Men commit 86% of violent crimes (and are twice as likely to be victims of violent crime) (Source: ONS).

  • https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk.

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As a practitioner I recognise the difficulties men have in expressing their needs and wants, I have developed a practice that now works enabling men to explore, vulnerability, be seen, feel that they matter, be known, take a risk and feel exposed.

 

Creating a safe place to explore their childhood modelling and making changes for their future relationships.

 

This includes all who identify as male.

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