My Brain's Not Broken

As I’ve leaned more into the mental health space and got to know people in the community, I’ve recognized subtle differences and undertones when certain people discuss mental health. I’ve also recognized less subtle differences in part of this discussion, and that usually involves how men talk about mental health. I can’t understand some of the nuances and differences of mental health outside of my own cishet male experience, but by looking at statistics and data alone, something is clear: men need help with mental health just as much as any group of people.

Let’s look at some statistics. From Mindwise:

• Nearly 1 in 10 men experience depression and anxiety. Less than half sought treatment.
• Men die by suicide 3.5 times more often than women.
• 49% of men admit they feel more depressed than they admit to the people in their life

From Mental Health America:

• More than 6 million men are affected by depression in the United States every year
• 90% of people who are diagnosed with schizophrenia by the age of 30 are men.
• Gay and bisexual men are at an increased risk of suicide attempts, especially before the age of 25.
• Male veterans, regardless of their form of military service, experience nearly twice the rate of alcohol and drug use as women

From the National Alliance on Mental Illness:

• The annual treatment rate among any U.S. adult with mental illness is 13 percent higher for women (48.6%) than men (34.9%)
• 75% of people who die by suicide are male.

Just from these statistics, a correlation is clear. Not only are men just as at-risk for mental health disorders and mental illness as other groups, but an unwillingness to get treatment still exists. As we continue this week, we’ll look at the relationship between men and mental health, and what that journey’s been like. Because while there have been many improvements in the ways men discuss mental health, there is still a ways to go.

Be on the look out for some guest posts this week during Men’s Health Week as we continue to look at how certain demographics are affected by mental health. I’m also looking for guest bloggers to write about their own experiences with mental health for a Pride Month series I will be doing at the end of June! Hit me up for details.