The Need for a Men's Mental Health Focus
As I was thinking through what I was going to write yesterday for our "encouraging words" segment it dawned on me that I haven't really spoken to the idea of why I think we need to make men's mental health a priority. Sometimes, when we have a passion about something, we often assume that others have the same context that we have and simply aren't as passionate. That can lead us down a path of thinking that we have to change the things that people are passionate about which is typically a losing battle, opposed to just providing the context that makes us passionate about the topic. A quote that has been meaningful to me surrounding men's mental health is, "The strongest people are not those who always go it alone, but those who know when to ask for help and have the courage to accept it." I tend to feel like men don't do a good job of accepting help. I feel that way because we often don't go to the doctor when something hurts, don't reach out to loved ones when we can't pay our bills, or don't ask for feedback in our careers when we feel like we aren't accomplishing goals. There has been this long-standing ideology for men that it's our job to just "figure it out." Well, figuring it out isn't going so well when it comes to our mental health. Let me give you some insight into why I feel this way and why this website and brand are important to me.
Men and Suicide Risk
The biggest influence on me when it comes to making this a subject I want to focus on, is the number of men who are dying by suicide and how disproportionate it is to the general population. The CDC tells us that in 2020 45,979 people died by suicide. 12.2 million adults thought about it, 3.2 million adults made a plan, and 1.2 million adults attempted suicide. In 2020 men were 4x more likely to die by suicide than females. In 2021 men made up 49% of the population and accounted for 80% of all suicides according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Those numbers are staggering. My family has been affected by mental illness in a significant way and I had a family member die by suicide when I was younger. Most people have been impacted in one way or another by suicide and men are currently at a greater risk.
How I can Impact Men's Mental Health
So, what do we do about it? Here I am with a passion, an understanding of basic math, and a background in business and sales. I'm not exactly what you would call an expert in mental health or suicide prevention, but I can certainly do whatever is within my reach to make an impact. I can talk about it. I can tell people that I think it's important and why. I can use my brain to ask why men are so at risk, think about times in my life when I've battled anxiety or depression, and I can suggest things that I believe have been, or would have been, helpful to me. I can analyze stigma. I can encourage people who are struggling. I can create social media accounts and expand my reach. I can make an impact! The more I thought through these "I can" statements, the more I was compelled to jump in. So, I did.
I have asked myself over the last several weeks what I want to accomplish with this website, these social media accounts, and The Lockman Lounge brand overall and I've come to the conclusion that I just want to make an impact. If one person seeks help because of a blog entry, a social media post, or a comment on an article then that's enough. If one person develops a new hobby, figures out how to prioritize their mental health, and finds more enjoyment in life then that's enough. If one person LIVES instead of dying...that's certainly enough. I would love to see an engaged community bouncing ideas off of one another about how we can make an impact on men's mental health. I'd love to see the product recommendation posts do well and generate income while providing affordable and quality tools for men while they engage in those hobbies. I'd love to see google traffic, Bing traffic, top ranked SEO, and partnerships with organizations that make an impact BUT none of that is the goal. The goal is, and will always be, to impact the ONE.
Do something positive today friends. Make an impact on your own life or on the life of someone you interact with today. Thank you for taking the time to read and I genuinely hope you will all walk with me on this journey.
John
About the Author:
John Lockman is passionate about promoting men's mental health. Having lost a family member to suicide at an early age, he is committed to raising awareness about the disproportionate number of men affected by this devastating issue. Through his own personal experiences and his website, www.thelockmanlounge.com, John hopes to help men think differently about how to prioritize their well-being and become more comfortable acknowledging and processing their feelings in a healthy way.
In addition to his passion for mental health advocacy, John also has almost two decades of experience in the business world. Most recently, he oversaw roughly 100 million dollars of annual revenue and was responsible for managing a team of 75 employees. In this role, John had a significant impact on customer service, profitability, employee retention, and marketplace growth. With his wealth of knowledge and experience, John is a seasoned professional with valuable insights to share.
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