June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) reported that Jamaica has seen a significant increase in suicides during the pandemic, with the majority of these tragic deaths being elderly men. The JCF said this increase in suicides must be a cause for serious concern to health authorities, families and communities across the country. The Ministry of Health also reported that the suicide rate in 2020 was approximately 2.1 per 100,000 people, while JCF statistics put the annual number of deaths by suicide at between 47 and 56.
There are many factors that lead people to believe they should attempt suicide. Some people have depression but it is not diagnosed. Early signs may not be recognized. Signs include changes in appetite, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, depressed mood, loss of energy, fatigue, difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
Social and economic conditions can cause depression. Men are made even more depressed because they are expected to be macho and bear it with a grin. It’s as if they are expected to suppress their emotions. As a result, men are angry, violent and depressed.
The National Institute of Mental Health defines depression as a common but serious mood disorder that causes severe symptoms that affect the way a person feels, thinks, sleeps, eats, and carries out everyday activities such as work.
Severe depression includes symptoms such as low mood and loss of interest, and in most cases lasts for at least two weeks and interferes with daily activities.
There is also persistent depression (also called dysthymia or dysthymic disorder), where the depressive symptoms are less severe but last much longer, usually at least two years, and depression with psychotic symptoms, which is a severe form of depression in which you experience psychotic symptoms such as delusions (disturbing, false, fixed beliefs) and hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that other people cannot hear or see).
Father’s Day has just passed, and men’s morale has dropped even further with stories of men becoming “sperm donors” and women being praised as fathers. Too many people make men feel less masculine without considering how it affects the male psyche. History would support the assertion that not only Jamaicans but also black people have suffered from ancestral trauma related to slavery and men should not show their pain. There are men who struggle every day to provide for their families.
Men should never be made to feel like they can’t share their weaknesses. Men can cry. Men should cry. The greatest man who ever walked the earth cried.
Crying is a form of release. From a Christian perspective, crying to your Creator signals recognition that there is someone who can share the burdens you face, and according to healthline.com, crying “may support both the body and mind by restoring emotional balance, relieving pain, and activating the parasympathetic nervous system to help self-soothe.”
Crying for an extended period of time releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids (also known as endorphins). These feel-good chemicals help relieve physical and emotional pain. When endorphins are released, the body goes into a numb state. Oxytocin induces feelings of calm and well-being.
The rest of this month, men should focus on maintaining their mental health, so cry if you need to, find someone to talk to, find an activity that helps you relax, and laugh.
Natesha Lindsay is an educator.
