BroBlog

6 THINGS I WISH THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS

by Irene Chua

4 April 2014

It has been almost 2 months since the inception of this idea to work on mental health issue, specifically young men’s mental health, for our assignment. Over this period, we have had the chance to go through heaps of materials, talk to expert in the field, trawling through the Internet for relevant material to build up our site and many more other activities. Through it all, I have come to learn more about men’s mental health. While some facts and figures are downright stunning, some other facts just amazed me by how much misconceptions people have about men’s mental illness. Whether you are a random reader who ventured here accidentally, or someone who is trying to help another guy out there, or you think you have a mental illness and need reason to seek help, here are some things that I have learnt that I wish you know. 

1. Mental Illness Itself Is NOT A Myth

It is a medical malady. It is no less than the common sniffles that you catch or diabetes. It is as real as cancer and it is much more common then you think. It can strike anyone, the young, the old, the female or THE MALE.

2. I’m/He’s A Man; Mental Illness Is DO Occur In Men.

Perhaps it’s how we are brought up, or perhaps it’s just how media has been portraying male figures. 

Sexual stereotyping is everywhere. We learnt (while growing up), what is means to be a man from family, from peers.  These ideas about approved behaviors and modes of thought are focused and supported by media messages. Boys/Men are expected to display traits such as independence, bravery, rational, strong and effective. Men are always the knights in shiny armor, who are always there to save the day. As such, many of us are led to believe that men are strong and resilient that they mental illness in men is a foreign concept. Men themselves struggle to acknowledge and vocalize that they are have a real mental condition that require professional help as such acknowledgement are perceived as unmanly.

But you know what. Men DO suffer from mental illness. It is much more common as you think. In Australia, 1 in 5 men suffers from one mental illness in the past 12 months [1]. While in America, over 6 million (7% of the population) are diagnosed with depression annually [2]. Even our Asia counterparts are not spared. In Singapore, the Singapore Mental Health Study showed that about 6% of Singaporeans have at least one episode of clinically significant depression in their lifetime. The combined lifetime prevalence of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) was 3.6%. OCD is more common than GAD (0.9% and 3.0% respectively) [3].

3. Not Everyone With A Mental Illness Is Going To Shoot Up A Movie Theater Or A School. People with Mental Illness Are NOT Violent.

When people first hear about someone else who is diagnosed with mental illness, all they can picture is someone who is maniac, extremely violent, swear and curse at everything or anything. BUT

People with a mental illness are no more violent or dangerous than the rest of the population. People with a mental illness are more likely to harm themselves – or to be harmed – than they are to hurt other people.  Those people have gone untreated, or have stopped taking their medications.  They are also the extreme example of mental illness. 

4. If I Admit That I Have A Mental Illness, I Will NOT End Up In A Mental Hospital For A Very Long Time.

Often when people hear of diagnosis of mental illness, all they could picture are straitjacket, cushion lined asylums and crazy medication regimens.  Men who suffer from mental illness start to think, is that who I really am. Is there where I want to end up?

Really, admitting and seeking help for mental illness does not make one crazy. It does not secure you a one way ticket to your nearest friendly mental asylum. Mental illness is not a character flaw. It is affected by genetic, biological, social and environmental factors. With the right therapy or medication, one can recover from mental illness. Admission to mental asylum is only for the extreme cases. 

5. I Know You Can Handle Your Own Mental Health Problem. You’re Not Weak If You Can’t Handle it Alone.

We are all taught/made aware at one point or another about mental health. May it be in school, media, workplace, internet or even trash magazines. We all know that if we have a mental health problem, we turn to coping mechanisms such as exercising, eating, working harder, etc. to take care of the problem. As such, many people do not seek treatment for it.

However, sometimes these coping mechanisms may not be enough especially if your mental illness becomes overwhelming and start to take over your daily activities. It is important to recognize that perhaps you need help. This DOES NOT meant that you are weak! This just means that you realize and accept your human and natural limitations.

For example, you thought your sprain your ankle in a game of football. So you ice it when you get home, rest it (coping). However it is still sore after a week. You may consult with a friend or family member for their opinion about what to do (more coping). Eventually, you're convinced it may be worse than you thought and go to see your doctor. He looks at it and takes a few X-rays. He tells you that you're lucky you came in when you did because indeed it was worse than a sprain -- it was a hairline fracture which could have been made worse if not placed in a cast.

Same analogy goes for mental illness. Seeking help makes you strong not weak. Like a sprain, you will come out stronger with the right help.

6. I Can’t Help My Friend/Partner/Brother/Son Without Making Things Worst Then It Already Has.

It can be frustrating and frightening when it comes to helping that important men in your life deal with his mental illness. It’s like walking on eggshells; you tend to be over cautious to be sensitive to their feelings. But with the right treatment, and support it can come be cured.

Men tend to view partners and friends as primary health sources. You are their first go to person if they have problem. Perhaps they may not vocalize it to you. But recognizing signs and symptoms and offering more concern is the first step. Even if you don’t know how to help them, a very good first step is to point them to someone who knows how to (e.g. your GP, school counselor, helplines etc. Refer to here on where to seek help).

It sucks to watch someone you love or important to you spiral down the drain. Offer them your help, point them to the right place.

References:

[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009). National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results, 4326.0, 2007. ABS: Canberra.

[2] Men’s Health – Mental Health [Internet].  2014 [cited 2014 Apr 04]. Available from: http://us.movember.com/mens-health/mental-health
[3] Lim B.L. Men’s Mental Health [Internet] 2012. [cited 2014 Apr 04]. Available from: http://www.psywellness.com.sg/men-mentalhealth.html

BRO'S OF THE AUSSIE OUTBACK

by Amy Faugno

2 April 2014

Country: that sun-kissed, wind through your hair feel, that fresh clean air and those large open spaces, that beautiful brown countryside – who could possibly get distressed in a place as peaceful as this? It is sad, but the reality is, even though people from the country are satisfied with where they live, so many still fall under the hold of mental illnesses.¹ In relation to young adult males it is surprising to note that the prevalence of mental illness in rural communities is similar to that of metropolitan males, and yet the suicide rate is doubled.²  So why? If rural communities are so satisfied and prevalence are similar between rural and metropolitan areas, how are suicide rates doubled?

The simple answer is access. Poorer access to health care services and the lack of specialised services, is a well-known reason for many hardships, not just suicide, associated with living in rural areas. However, whilst lack of access is certainly a major reason, the complete answer is much bigger and more complicated than just this. In order to completely understand this difference in mental illness outcomes of young males, it is necessary to firstly discuss the environments young males in rural communities find themselves in. Depending on the size and location of the community, the facilities on offer will vary. Schooling is limited, employment opportunities are confined and tend to be more dangerous in description, and there are little to no leisurely activities available to entertain this population. As a result of this they tend to be less educated, have lower income jobs, have an easier access to firearms and are more likely to drink alcohol, smoke and take illicit drugs due to boredom, and feelings of isolation.² All these stresses have been linked to an increased risk of mental illness and as a consequence suicide. In addition, jobs tend to be largely impacted on by climate, which leads to more financial stress and the feeling of a lack of control over one’s life in the country.³

Another major factor facing young adult males from the outback are cultural barriers. There is a high stigma associated with being a country man, they relate to being tough skinned, nothing can defeat them. They tend to be regarded as the bread winners and are self-reliant, they couldn't possibly ask for help as this is a sign of weakness. This mentality indicates they are less likely to seek help even if the community has specific health services available, and even though today there is access to phone and internet helplines.⁴ This reluctance to speak out is magnified by the fact that rural communities are small, increasing the chance of the whole community finding out about a person’s problems. This fear that there is no privacy in a small community coincides with the fear of being “different”, not being accepted, and of being bullied. Other factors to consider include; the life of the young adult male at home, the higher cost of living in rural areas, the quality of food, the lack of physical activity, and the higher rates of abuse.

All these factors contribute to a higher rate of poorer outcomes of mental illness because the identification of young males with mental illness occurs too late. So how do we fix it? These factors above can’t be changed overnight, but through small steps we can improve the rates of an earlier diagnosis and hopefully change the mentality of our Australian rural males. Community centred health development, like raising awareness through schools, encouraging and providing support to students to seek help, ensuring rural GP's are adequately trained in mental health, and holding community workshops which build community connections can all aid in this goal to improve early diagnosis in young adult rural males. It is said that rural towns have a better sense of community, so it is important for these communities to demonstrate this by working together with their government, industries, schools, and health services to raise awareness, break the stigma and support their young adult male population.²,⁴

References:

1.  Fact Sheet 15: Rural Australia. Deakin ACT: National Rural Health Alliance; 2009.

2.  Commonwealth of Australia. Mental Health in Rural and Remote Communities. 2008 [cited 2014 Apr 2]: Available from: http://www.responseability.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/4796/Mental-Health-in-Rural-and-Remote-Communities.pdf.

3.  Fact Sheet 28: The Determinants of Health in Rural and Remote Australia. Deakin ACT: National Rural Health Alliance; 2011.

4.  Fairleigh A. Getting it right on rural mental health. 2013 [cited 2014 Apr 2]: Available from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-17/fairleigh-getting-it-right-on-rural-mental-health/4825542.

WATCH YOUR MOUTH 

by Amy Faugno

29 March 2014

** Please Note: the below blog contains offensive language. 

Please read with caution. Apologies to the readers who may be offended**

Jerk, dickhead, dumbass…. These words flow freely off the tongue in today’s society like water from a waterfall. We can tell ourselves it means nothing, they have just become a figure of speech, but have they? Each time a person is labelled with one of these terms are they affected or hurt? Think about the last time you were called something, you probably blew it off, but I can bet some of you reading this would have felt slightly offended. You would have laughed it off, or had an epic comeback, but without you realising it, it chipped away at part of you. I can hear some of you guys out there saying: this is just a “girl” thing, boys don’t get affected by that sort of language, it’s just how they talk to each other, it is “normal”. They are the people that would say that those boys who do take it personally are not “real” boys, they are soft cocks, wimps, mummy’s boys, but how is this not the same? – I am sorry for causing any offense by this, but I am simply trying to prove a point. Those people that say these sort of things, are you not injuring some other person’s self-esteem? Why are they not as good as you? Why do you have to degrade them so they feel rejected and worthless?

Now think about the last time one of these words rolled off your tongue. Was it directed at someone? How did it make you feel? Tough? Or a coward? How do you think it made them feel? Worthless? Inadequate? We need to remember not everyone is built the same, not everyone has the same resilience to this language. I am not saying that these words are the explicit cause of men’s mental instability, I am simply saying that they can affect a person and contribute to their mental health, and we need to be more aware of how we speak to males because they are vulnerable too. The ability to think before you act or speak is a powerful skill. I challenge all of you reading this to try and think before you speak today and take note of how many times these words slip from your mouth without you realising. How many people do you chip away at?

Don’t believe me, then maybe Gadit¹ can convince you. The article discusses several trials which relates verbal abuse to mental disorders and brain damage. Studies have shown an increase in psychiatric disorders, and a 10% reduction in grey matter of the brain, in adults who were verbally abused as children compared to adults who were not. It also commented on males being less tolerable to verbal abuse than females. Another source also notes bullying as a possible predisposing cause for personality disorders, and it encourages doctors to consider this aspect of a patient’s history in diagnosis.² 

So now tell me, will you still use this language as freely?