James Donaldson on Mental Health - Highlighting men’s mental health during Men’s Health Awareness Month

By Ahniaelyah Spraggs

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - In honor of Men’s Health month this June, we’re highlighting one aspect of men’s health that experts say is often overlooked — their mental health.

Dr. Kevin Michaels discusses the issue more, starting out mentioning some starling statistics, “One out of every five men have some type of anxiety disorder that may go undiagnosed and … are three and a half more times likely to commit suicide than women. … suicide is like the seventh leading cause of death out there. And so it’s really important to address these things.”

One of the significant barriers men face in addressing their mental health is the fear of judgment and a lack of awareness.

To address these challenges, Dr. Michaels advocates for open communication.

“Talking with a friend helps boost one’s mental health,” said Dr. Michaels. “Talking with religious leaders or clergy helps a person so they can get resources or access to care from multiple areas and recognizing they’re available. There are also workplace initiatives for those people that are working. There’s the Employee Assistance Program, which a lot of people aren’t aware that they have that resource in the workplace. That they can get some initial mental health or behavioral health support to help them through a difficult time.”

This month Dr. Michaels encourages the public to break the stigma and encourage the men in our lives to prioritize their mental health.

Another valuable resource you can use is the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, which offers free and confidential support.

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

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