Recognizing PTSD Awareness & Men's Health Months

Summer is full of wonderful holidays to celebrate and topics that are important to highlight and raise awareness around. The month of June is recognized as Men’s Health Month. In recognition, I want to share some information about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and men’s mental health.

What is PTSD?

It is a mental health condition triggered by one or many terrifying events. To be diagnosed with PDSD, one doesn’t necessarily have to be the individual to experience a traumatic event; they could have witnessed someone else experience a traumatic event. What are some of these events that can cause PTSD? Of course, not an exhaustive list, but a start: domestic violence, racism, bullying, sexual assault, car accident, war, immigration or leaving one’s home of origin. Not all individuals will perceive or experience certain situations or a threat with the same intensity, nor have the same traumatic response.

What are some PTSD symptoms?

Following a traumatic event, one may experience negative physical or mental responses. Most individuals experiencing PTSD will find themselves noticing certain triggers that incite an intense reaction. Maybe it’s a smell, place, person or environment that causes the body to respond negatively or fearfully.

Some mental responses that are common for those experiencing PTSD include:

• Feelings of guilt and shame
• Feeling detached from others
• Having nightmares and flashbacks
• Engaging in reckless behavior

Some physical responses that are common for those experiencing PTSD include:

• Trouble sleeping
• Being easily startled
• Experiencing hypervigilance and always being “on high alert”

To meet the diagnosis for PTSD, one must have symptomology for at least one month after the traumatic event.

So, how does this tie into Men’s Health Month? In 2020, around 20 million individuals had a PTSD diagnosis. And during Men’s Health Month, there tends to be more of a highlight around the importance of physical health, as opposed to other forms of health. And though it is important that we all take care of our physical health, it is also important to take care of ourselves mentally. Just as men should eat a well-rounded diet, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, get an annual primary care checkup, and get routine screenings – like a PSA test for prostate cancer or a colonoscopy for colorectal cancer – it is equally important to that they check in on the state of their mental wellbeing.

Over 6 million men struggle with depression each year. However, acknowledging the stigma around mental health, this number is probably much higher as many cases of mental health concerns, like depression, go undiagnosed. Also, though women statistically attempt the act of suicide more often than men, it is men who have a higher rate of suicide completion due to lethal access available. Regardless of the reasons, men are more likely to have a more difficult time expressing their mental health challenges.

As we wrap up Men’s Health Month, take the time to acknowledge the men in our life – be that our brothers, fathers, sons, uncles, grandfathers or friends. Together, let’s break the cycle and the stigma around mental health and that, somehow, by speaking up men are less masculine.

Men: You are not alone. Your physical health matters. Your traumatic experiences as you experience them matter. And your mental health matters.

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