MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH

Men's mental health is often overlooked due to societal expectations of stoicism and independence. This leads to higher rates of undiagnosed depression and anxiety, and ultimately, increased suicide rates. However, laws such as the Canadian Charter of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights protect men's right to live and have equal protection under the law. The government has implemented programs and resources to address men's mental health, but social stigma remains a barrier. It is important for individuals to encourage the men in their lives to seek help and provide them with resources. Raising awareness can be done through conversations, contacting government agencies, or reaching out to professionals. Immediate help can be found through local suicide hotlines. Men's mental health is crucial for the growth of Canada, and it is essential for men to prioritize their well-being and seek the help they need. I'm sure by now all of you guys have heard of mental health. What is it? July probably? Yeah. So, the month before that is June. What is it? Summer month? Pride month? No more school month? It's all that. But it's also men's mental health month. And not a lot of people know that. This is because men have constantly been pushed by our earlier generations to be overwhelmingly stoic, independent, and emotionless. But men, just like anyone else, if you're a believer in gender equality, have the same emotions and the same feelings as any other human being. Which is why it's so important for the men of today to reach out if they need help. Although depression and anxiety rates are higher in women, men are much more likely to hide their issues and go undiagnosed. This is why suicide rates are at an all-time high for our men. It not only counts as a social issue, but it also counts as a human rights violation for men under certain circumstances. For example, under the Canadian Charter of Rights, everyone has the right to live and the right to have equal protection or benefit of the law without any discrimination. Given that a lot of these cases are due to marital issues or financial issues, I believe that we can use the law to our advantage. As for the UDHR, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all human beings are born with equal freedom and rights and the right to an adequate standard of living. This includes health care, housing and well-being. This means that your employer cannot abuse you at work nor discriminate against you nor harass you in any way. These refer to Articles 1 and 25 of the UDHR and Sections 7 and 6 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights, respectively. Mental health is alarming and men have the tendency to think that since they're supposed to be stoic and independent by generational nature, they don't reach out for help. So this is why even if the government releases programs for the men to seek out help, they won't do so unless social stigma is stopped. To stop this, the government has introduced many programs that are tailored to men. For example, the Canadian Men's Health Foundation has a program named Mindfit Toolkit. So this aims to deliver resources such as stress and anxiety management and eliminate stigma that men face in crisis. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has also started up virtual initiatives further expediting the availability of resources. I am urging you as a population and as a Canadian community to encourage the men in your life to seek out help if they need it and give these links to these resources. So, I believe that men's mental health is a fundamental topic for the growth of Canada as a whole. This is because I almost fell in the spiral of men's mental health and I was surprised myself at how low the awareness was at a media perspective. Things you could do to raise awareness is first of all talk to the men in your family, talk to your grandmother, talk to your dad, talk to that one friend in your class that's always smiling because you never know who it might be that is suffering from these crises. You can contact several government agencies and government-funded initiatives alongside professionals such as your local guidance counsellor if you're in school or local social workers. So, there's Crisis Services Canada, Kids Help Phone, Connects Ontario and many, many more such as the Canadian Mental Health Foundation. But if you seek immediate help, you should contact your local suicide hotline. With all ends met, I just have a single sentence for all the men listening to this podcast right now. If you need the help, be a man and get the help you need because we need men in this society and we cannot afford to lose another man. Thank you.