5 do’s and don’ts for a good mental health

The mental health state is really important; there’s so much to be done to keep a man sane as he goes through life’s vicissitudes.

In the UK, suicide rates are three times higher for men than for women; 73% of people who ‘go missing’ are men; if you’re a man under 45 you’re more likely to die by your own hand than due to any accident or illness; you’re also less likely to seek medical or psychological help than a woman.

So, there is so much that is needed to be done to shine the light on men and their minds.

Below are five do’s and don’ts for you to keep yourself and the people around you safe, well and in good mental health?

Do: Beware of The Booze: If you’re worried about a friend’s wellbeing, offering to take them for a drink is a good way of showing concern and potentially having a conversation about their problems. But alcohol misuse and psychological problems go hand in hand: and while older people tend to drink more frequently, according to statistics from Alcohol Concern, young men are more likely to drink recklessly (i.e. drink more in a single session), with 27% drinking at least twice the recommended daily limit on one occasion in the last week.

Do: Mind Your Language: Calmzone also advised that people who are feeling suicidal “are very sensitive to failure or criticism” and “find it hard to tell others how they’re feeling”, so forget about telling people to snap out of it, laughing at their situation, belittling the condition or telling them they’ve let people down.

Read also: 6 fruit seeds you can eat to improve your health

Don’t: Put It Off: The experts at the Calmzone warn that those in the midst of psychological problems often “feel like they have no friends and are isolated” and “find it hard to tell others how they’re feeling.” This is exacerbated by people often feeling uncomfortable broaching the subject of mental illness or worrying that they’ll say something wrong, and so instead adopting a head-in-the-sand attitude.

Don’t: Be Scared of The Doctor: Statistics show that while more women are treated for depression, more men commit suicide, suggesting that there’s a shortfall between the number of men with problems and the number seeking medical help. For many men there is an unwillingness to open up to a stranger, and a fear that admitting to a problem makes it more real, or will set them on a lifetime of personality-altering medication.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now