ENDING THE SILENCE ON MALE EMOTIONAL ABUSE; SUICIDE; AND DEPRESSION: JANUARY 2019 -- GLOBAL MEN AND BOYS EMOTIONAL HEALTH MONTH

CONTACT:

Diane A. Sears

USA Coordinator – International Men’s Day (http://www.usainternationalmensday.blogspot.com)

E-Mail: insearchoffatherhood@gmail.com

            We share this space and place we know as Planet Earth with 3,868,005,439 souls who are Males – Men and Boys.  These souls are Our Sons, Fathers, StepFathers, GrandFathers, Great GrandFathers, Uncles, Brothers, Nephews, Cousins, Husbands, Significant Others, Friends, Co-Workers, and Neighbors.  They constitute 50.4% of our Planet’s current population of 7,668,408,940 souls.  Many of these 3,868,005,439 souls are spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally wounded. According to the World Health Organization (www.who.int), close to 800,000 suicides occur annually and three (3) out of every four (4) suicides is committed by a male.  There are males walking among us who are victims of domestic emotional abuse perpetrated by their spouse or partner.

          For a variety of reasons, Men who are victims of emotional abuse are reluctant to report it to authorities and to seek help from mental health care professionals and providers.  Some resort to suicide to end their excruciating spiritual, psychological, and emotional pain.  Others suffer in silence as they slowly descend into the deep dark abyss of depression or self-medicate with alcohol, drugs, sex, or work to numb their pain.  Depressed, suicidal, and spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally battered souls who are males are everywhere – in the United States, South America, Europe, Africa, Central America, the Caribbean, Australia, Asia, and Antartica – in our families, workplaces, and neighborhoods.  The silence surrounding male emotional abuse, suicide, and depression has been deafening.  Under the theme, “Ending The Silence On Male Emotional Abuse: Suicide; And Depression”, the International Men’s Day Team is utilizing January 2019:  Global Men And Boys Emotional Health Month as a vehicle to move institutions, organizations, and individuals throughout our world to address and resolve Male Emotional Abuse and the myriad of underlying causative factors of male suicide and male depression.    The International Men’s Day Africa Group Coordinator Mr. Olaseni Matthew Gansallo has penned a powerful literary work, “Men Who Suffer Emotional Abuse – The Silent Suffering: A Guide To Help”  that is launching a Global Dialogue on Male Emotional Abuse -- one of the causative factors of male suicide and male depression. 

              During January 2019:  Global Men And Boys Emotional Health Month under the theme, “Ending The Silence On Male Emotional Abuse; Suicide; And Depression” institutions, organizations, and individuals are encouraged to:

 Create Pathways for Emotional, Spiritual, and Psychological Healing For Men And Boys -- 

·         Rewrite the narrative on strength and masculinity by redefining strength.  Being strong is being vulnerable.  When a soul is vulnerable they are standing in front of another person spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically naked.  Only a strong person can and will allow themselves to be vulnerable and to ask for help.

·         All clinics and medical facilities in all communities  should be staffed with at least one (1) mental health professional who is sensitive to and can effectively address and resolve the unique psychological, emotional, and spiritual issues experienced by Men and Boys. 

·         Women must begin to engage the Men and Boys in their lives in a conversation – a real conversation – while engaging in active listening -- about their emotional, psychological, and spiritual reaction to disappointments, rejections, and perceived failures.    Ask questions:  “How was your day – what happened? How do you feel about what happened to you?  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?”    

·         Recognize the symptoms of mental, emotional, and spiritual distress which take the form of 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. 

·         Develop and facilitate local, national, and global education and awareness campaigns and initiatives for emotional male abuse; male suicide; and male depression. 

Develop, Establish, and Maintain “Male-Friendly” Social Services

·         Establish and maintain “male-only” homeless shelters for men who are victims of domestic emotional male abuse.  Ideally, the homeless shelters would be staffed with mental health professionals who have specific training for and a level of sensitivity to the unique emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs of Men.   The homeless shelters would serve as a temporary lodging for emotionally abused males who are forced to leave their homes.  These shelters would assist these souls with, among other things, relocation; obtaining housing; career/job placements and training, etc. either directly or through referral services.

·         Design and implement 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 would help to address and heal deeply embedded emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds created by years and decades of institutionalization.

      Let’s get the New Year – 2019 – off to a great start by ending the silence on Male Emotional Abuse; Male Suicide; and Male Depression!