JANUARY 2018: MEN AND BOYS EMOTIONAL FREEDOM MONTH

MALE SUICIDE … A GLOBAL HEALTH ISSUE

JANUARY 2018 MEN AND BOYS EMOTIONAL FREEDOM MONTH

           Men and Boys are socialized to suppress pain.    We have 3.6 billion souls who are males in our global village walking among us who are suppressing their pain.   What do these souls do when the pain they are feeling and carrying around becomes too great?  Some self-medicate with drugs, alcohol, sex, or food.  Some explode – they commit acts of bloody and deadly violence.  And  some implode by committing suicide..   The suicide rate for Men and Boys throughout our global village continues to rise alarmingly. According to the World Health Organization (www.who.int), 800,000 souls commit suicide throughout our global village and 79% of these souls are males.  Each year approximately, 632,000  males who feel that no other option exists for them, end their mental, emotional, and spiritual pain by killing themselves.  Is there a connection between the manner in which Men and Boys are socialized and the rising suicide rate?   Are Men and Boys taught to suffer in silence when they are in pain and that seeking help for their pain – particularly, mental, psychological, and spiritual pain -- is unmanly? 

           Male suicide is a silent epidemic and a growing global health issue which can no longer be treated like the proverbial “elephant in the room”. 

            Through January 2018:  Men and Boys Emotional Freedom Month, the USA International Men's Day Team is working to help break the silence surrounding male suicide.

            The USA International Men’s Day Team is offering a few suggestions on what we can do to help break the silence surrounding male suicide:

·         Establishment of an Office of Men’s Health in the United States Department of Health and Human Services which facilitates (A) Male Mental Health Education and Awareness Campaigns on the national, state, and local level  that targets male suicide and its causatiive factors; and (B) a solutions-based National Dialogue on Male Suicide. 

·        The design and implementation of a two-tiered mandatory psychological debriefing program for all males who have been incarcerated and their family members and loved ones for a mandatory minimum period of one (1) year.

·        Engage the Men and Boys in our lives in a conversation – a real conversation – about their emotional, psychological, and spiritual reaction to disappointments, rejections, and perceived failures.    Ask questions:  “How do you feel about what happened?  Are you happy?  Are you sad?   Do you feel numb?  How can I make things better for you?   What can I do to help you through the difficult time that you are going through?”  

·        Understanding that mental, emotional, and spiritual distress are accompanied by behavioral changes.   These behavioral changes could take the form of insomnia, excessive moodiness, loss of appetite, change in appearance – e.g., poor grooming and hygiene, and withdrawal.   Are the Men and Boys in our lives exhibiting any of these  changes?