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Post by Admin on Feb 15, 2016 16:42:41 GMT -4
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may
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by may on Feb 17, 2016 13:12:40 GMT -4
It is quite a surprise to me that Mental health issues are common and are among all age groups. It is obviously not well recognized and treated. Old and young, men and women, boys and girls- these are all of us! The article has good points about men's mental health that it is undertreated. That can be due to men have problem describing the real underline issues that bother them either because there is no good way to express the problem(s), stigmatism, or showing their weakness if they admit that they have problem. I think there are more to find out about what the real problems are. May be they are suffering from the same problem, and if those problems are known and fixed, mental health issues may be cut down in half. I think we should really look into what are the things that bother them, so we have to make them speak them out and make it clear to public that he or she is not the only person having the problem.
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Post by Essa Kadiri on Feb 17, 2016 15:07:58 GMT -4
Failure to properly address the underlying cause of mental health, whether it be in males or females, will continue to lead us into never ending debates and struggles. Research continues to focus most of its energy on deciphering the intricate details of the human mind while steering away from the environmental and societal elements that are the true culprits of mental illness. This is because we live in an era of evidence based medicine, rather evidence based everything. We must physically see, hear, and understand a disease before we can agree on how to treat it, otherwise we are overwhelmed by a tarnished and tainted ego. I am not a fan of generalizations, and in medicine there are always exceptions, however if we were to take a broad view of societal and environmental trends in the past century, maybe the picture would become clear to all. No one would disagree that the advancements in technology, medicine, and global communication have been mind blowing to say the least. So the question arises; as we advance in those arenas, why do we continue to regress mentally? Why are there more mentally ill individuals in the world today? These advancement have lead us to a state of constant fear! As you read this, you are in fear of something, whether it be loss of a job, failure in school, breakdown of a relationship, global warming, an illness, collapse of the economy, corrupt leaders, and even in most parts of the world today chaos and war. Add to this the loneliness we face to get through these fears has become a recipe for disaster. We constantly bombard each other with the notion of fear, that we now fear everyone; from the man walking down the street, to the neighbor, from your teacher to your mentor, and even from your own brother, mother and/or father. We are so afraid that we see wrong and indecencies in our daily lives, yet fear of rejection or retaliation leads us to say or do nothing. There was a time when honesty, integrity, reliability, and trustworthiness where qualities of most people and the fears of society were tackled by all. And although they had less comforts, less amenities, less technology, and less medicine, their lives were filled with harmony, contentment, and happiness. Unfortunately, these words are only seen in dictionaries in the times we live in. It is not surprising, that Christianity, Judaism and Islam mentioned centuries ago in their scriptures, that when communities begin to regress ethically and morally, they are plagued with fear and hunger from GOD. We can have all the therapist in the world, the best of medicines, the most advancements in technology, and even spend billions of dollars, but until we can be defined by those words in the dictionary and learn to help one another like our ancestors did, mental illness will continue plague our societies.
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Post by Eme Umana on Feb 17, 2016 17:06:29 GMT -4
The article is about mental health in general but a specific outlook on the rising cases of mental disorders amongst men. The article enshrines the problems engulfing men, Why men receive less treatments when compared to women. The article points out that, a lot of men run away from diagnosis and in some circles they feel it is unmanly to come out as being depressed. Especially amongst teenagers. Families need to stand behind men and encourage more men to speak about their problems than bottle it in. The article also examined the rate of violent suicides, men commit more violent suicides than women.
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Post by jamesmacgregor on Feb 17, 2016 18:34:31 GMT -4
This issue of mental health as it relates to this specific cohort illustrates multiple systemic failures, of which includes a lack of funding for mental health but by itself is not encompassing of the entire problem. As illustrated by the author, young men feel a societal pressure to maintain their feelings internally, causing inner turmoil and a lack of professional direction that can lead to the drastic consequences of substance abuse and self harm being demonstrated. This is where, from an early age, the school system can play an engaging role, aiding and enabling vehicles of emotional and psycho social expression among students and creating an environment free of scrutiny from such expression. Teachers and guidance councilers can be provided further education as it relates to mental health. This should continue into secondary education, ensuring students have adequate, easy and affordable access to mental health professionals and creating social environments that promote collaboration. The school system is an excellent institution to begin to address these concerns, it addresses members of society from a young age in a critical setting. Furthermore occupational support should be provided for all employees as mental health is a life long endeavor. Perhaps, equally important is the social stigma of mental health, society must work to break down the barriers for young men who perceive they will be judged negatively if they express personal struggles and concerns. Furthermore, this illustrates the need for more primary care providers. Primary care providers can provide a safe environment through which these concerns can be expressed through a relationship built on trust and confidentiality. However it should not just be Primary Care providers burdened with tackling this issue, all health care workers should play a role and continue their education on how to identify and address mental health while taking a more holistic approach to patient care. With an approach that encompasses institutions from government, to healthcare, to the educational system, progress can be made to ensure that suicide is not responsible for 1 in 4 deaths of men under 35 in the UK.
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Post by camilo on Feb 17, 2016 20:08:18 GMT -4
There is a growing consciousness in the developed world about the realities of mental health challenges that has lately been in everyone's focus. Dr. Antin has presented the fact that not enough Psychiatrists are filling the demand for more doctors who could fill the vacancies even with some incentives such as higher starting salaries - and that to those who choose Psychiatry, there's always a quick placement prospect ready for them to fill. My own experience after a month here at Pact Atlanta has been eye-opening. There's nothing like a real world exposure where the realities of mental health challenges stare you right in your face and the great example of how to approach these and put the patient's welfare up in front will be nuggets and pearls I have began collecting since being here.
The article focused on men with an underlying theme that it is as much a problem for women and children. While women can talk more naturally to express themselves, men by nature internalize and what they can't figure out on their own would rather just stuff it inside and go on with their day doing what men do - work and get their temporary fulfillment in accomplishing something their family could be proud about. The rugged individualism that men live out worked then when many blue collar jobs were available for the less educated which still paid a comparably decent pay to preserve the male pride of providing for their family's need just as the Ivy Leaguer - in terms of decent homes,pretty children,community involvement, respect and wives who worship them and they are able to live a normal and fulfilling life. But alas, these stories have pretty much been relegated to classic movies like "It's a Wonderful Life" with the surge of economic realities of a more specialized workplace, high-tech enterprises, and dot com -computer heavy emphasis. So boys who don't begin their ambitious climb early in school tend to be so far behind and are struggling to catch up. And so we have scientific proof now what happens to men under similar and related situations in the fact that 3x more men succumb to alcoholism, 600% increase in the last 10 years in England alone among men hospitalized for anxiety,depression, self-harm and eating disorder. Also, the "stigma" is more felt by men than women that adds another layer to the stoic facade men present with in these cases. We all need to first realize that we have a problem to solve here, and begin doing what must be done, and soon.
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Post by Hector Rivera on Feb 17, 2016 21:37:24 GMT -4
While this article mainly talks about the mental health crisis that many males face today, I believe that a lot can be done to not only appropriately diagnosed patients but to also treat them as well. It is true that more females seek out medical help more than what males do. The article points out that male mental heath illness are being ignore when in reality I believe that most males rather ignore their problems than face them. Most male patients grow up with the idea that the best way to face a problem is by ignoring it, something that gets passed on from father to son. Understanding and treating male mental health illness should start in the patients home life and involving ones family is a mayor step that can be taken to shed some light into what circumstances are involve that make a male patient compartmentalize there life problems. This article also points out, that more has to be done to engage more male patients to seek out help and talk, something that I completely agree with.
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Post by Yaritza Maldonado on Feb 17, 2016 21:38:11 GMT -4
I agree with the article that mental health disorders are becoming a great concern in today’s society. Men are not adequately seeking treatment for mental illness. This article comments on that inability of male patients to talk about their personal problems, one way to tackle this issue is by making a comfortable environment in which they patients feels encouraged to talk. The reasons why male patients rather ignore their problems are not fully understand, but every step should be taken to understand the reasoning’s behind it. Another reason why a male patient might not seek out treatment is because there is stigma on mental health disorders. They might feel that if they have a mental health disorder they might be perceived as “weak” and “flawed”.
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Post by csandwich on Feb 17, 2016 23:16:54 GMT -4
I feel that the article did a great job explaining the presence of gender disparities in mental health. The article reports that women have a higher rate of suicide “attempts”, while the men have a higher rate of suicide completion. These findings go back to the fact that males (in general) express their emotions/feelings through violence and “bantering,” while females (in general) are more emotionally and language driven. Knowing these differences between genders provides better tools to approach their mental needs more on an individualized basis, rather than in a standardized manner. Steps need to be taken help those who are suffering in a manner that is best for them. Men (of all ages) should be provided the proper resources and outlets that will address their mental health needs. I think this article is a great example of how we cannot treat patients with “cookie-cutter medicine.” Not every person (or gender) responds to therapies, treatments, or situations the same and therefore there should be numerous outlets and types of treatments available.
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Post by Martica Smith on Feb 18, 2016 11:02:55 GMT -4
This week’s article about male mental health being a crisis is very interesting, and what I believe to be a great initiative to bring awareness to this issue. We hear and see every day in the news and media how some of the mental issues mentioned in the article are wreaking havoc through the young community. This I think may be due to young people looking for approval and acceptance through social media outlets, along with a lack of resources for troubled individuals to express themselves and somewhat vent. I can also attest to men being less open and not expressing their concerns as much as women would. Having numerous male friends, I have experienced different instances where they were knowingly troubled or depressed about a situation, however they just keep all the concerns inside and fortunately they got over it, but this isn’t always the case for others and lives may be lost.
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Post by Esiet Udota on Feb 18, 2016 11:57:43 GMT -4
In this day and age, men are expected not to express their emotions as though they are not human beings with feelings. It is sad to see, read or hear that men are going through various psychological issues without undergoing the proper channels for resolution. This article points out the ‘stigma’ around men admitting to having mental illness as a sign of failure and weakness. I second the motion that men deserve a unique and tailored approach to addressing these issues. I wonder if group cognitive behavioral therapy approach, as oppose to individualized sessions might be more beneficial in resolving the mental issues of men. Perhaps even joining the men’s group at their local churches etc. might also help. I say this because I think it might make the men feel that they are not in isolation of their mental health issues. It could be more encouraging to them, knowing that other "macho” men are undergoing similar issues and hence they could strive to resolve it together.
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Post by Ali Jabur on Feb 18, 2016 12:25:55 GMT -4
Mental Health among men is a topic that needs to be further evaluated and compared to so that we as providers can better be able to treat our patients. The article hits on a point and one that many other students share is that men who seem to have a mental issue treat them differently than women who have similar issues. Now this is not true across the board for all men but when comparing across genders, this seems to hold true. Even in our short time together in the Psychiatric clinic, I have noticed a trend in patients where the women admit their issues and are open about breaching those topics while men seem to be more short and may not even fully accept the illnesses that they may have. I feel that while this topic must be addressed, slowly the perception of mental health problems as a personal weakness instead of a medical condition is starting to fade. Maybe this is due to high profile athletes admitting to mental issues while still claiming their masculinity or that the "world is shrinking" due to social media and various platforms where we can communicate how we feel anytime we feel to anyone. I am encouraged by this change and hope that this leads to various new research and breakthroughs in the mental health field.
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Post by Komaldeep Singh on Feb 18, 2016 12:48:37 GMT -4
Mental health disorders are increasing in men, but diagnosing mental disorders in men is more difficult to do compared to women. It has a lot to do with the “wiring” of men, as men have a more difficult time relaying our emotions/thoughts. It is more difficult for men to open up and let someone else in to help them because this is perceived as a weakness. Men are always told “act a man”, which also inhibits men from seeking help because they will be perceived as “a failure and a weakness”. The combination of these events does allow for increased drug and alcohol abuse in men to help them cope with their current mental status, because it is easier to self-medicate then to ask a stranger for help. Increased education and availability of resources beginning at a younger age can improve diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders in men.
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Post by Amir Rafidia on Feb 18, 2016 14:06:39 GMT -4
First I must applaud the author of this article for addressing a topic in society that is constantly neglected. In regards to a man's mental health status, I feel that this issue needs to be tackled much earlier on in childhood. Why I believe this is necessary is because of the idea that early on in childhood, as we are developing our own personalities, most males would agree that we are navigated away from describing our feelings and being allowed to express our emotions. However, when a young male child is allowed to freely express their feelings and emotions, they may be afraid of the repercussions from doing so. Throughout my own development I have realized that our gender-specific society enforces the idea of, "Only girls are allowed to cry and show emotion. You are a guy and crying/being emotional makes you more vulnerable and makes you weaker." This type of classification on young boys can have a severely negative impact on their mental health as they enter adolescence and progress through adulthood. Furthermore, not every child has someone that they can openly share their feelings with and this can lead to one or many of the immature defense mechanisms that we constantly see in the psychiatric clinic today. In conclusion, I believe as physicians in society, regardless of our specialties, that we have a duty to educate parents to communicate with their children as much as possible in order to erase this gender-specific stigma. In doing so, our developing males will feel much more comfortable showing their emotions in a controlled and organized manner, thus possibly leading to a decrease in suicides, drug/alcohol abuse and other psychiatric disorders that are currently on the rise in todays society, specifically in teenage and adult males.
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Post by Tangela Derogene on Feb 18, 2016 14:44:46 GMT -4
This article sheds light on increase of mental health in the UK but specifically focuses on the lack of men being formally diagnosed and/or treated. That being said, men still have the have a higher rate in mental health related incidences for example, successful suicides and alcohol or substance abuse. It is a shame that in this day in age, men still hold this macho ego above their overall health. They are less likely to seek attention even though most men that do use therapy or are medicated for their mental health issues find it to be helpful. It is important for health care providers to use every avenue to help reach those that are affected by mental health issues but they cannot do it alone; men also need to be open and willing.
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