In England 1 in 8 men have a mental health problem.
Yet men are least likely to speak to someone about these issues [1].
Sadly, suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 50 [2].
As a Physiotherapist, I am not an expert on mental health. However, we do work with lots of patients suffering from a mental health problem, so I wanted to share some of the training that we receive on firstly recognising the warning signs in both men and women, and how we can all help.
The warning signs [3]:
- Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness
- Noticeable changes in mood, energy level or appetite
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless or on edge
- Increased worry or feeling stressed
- Misuse of alcohol and/or drugs
- Sadness or hopelessness
- Suicidal thoughts
- Feeling flat or having trouble feeling positive emotions
- Engaging in high-risk activities
- Aches, headaches, digestive problems without a clear cause
- Obsessive thinking or compulsive behaviour
- Thoughts or behaviours that interfere with work, family or social life
- Unusual thinking or behaviours that concern other people
How can we all help:
If you recognise these signs in a friend or loved one, encourage them to talk. This may not be to you but there are lots of people who are there to listen:
- GPs
- CALM- https://www.thecalmzone.net/
- The Samaritans- https://www.samaritans.org/
As a Physiotherapist, we are always trying to bridge the gap between mental and physical health.
Physical activity is great for improving your mental health. Read more here- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-benefits-of-exercise/
Thanks for reading…
Kate Markland
Clinic Founder
You can download a free guide to help you with your back pain here.
Or take part in Free Quiz and discover what to do next here.
Or drop us a message on any of our social media channels…
Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn / Twitter.
Let us help you to prevent, recover, re-gain your movement and be pain-free!
[1] McManus S, Bebbington P, Jenkins R, Brugha T. (eds.) (2016) Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014. Leeds: NHS Digital. Available at: http://content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB21748/apms-2014-full-rpt.pdf
[2] Public Health England. (2017). Chapter 2: Major causes of death and how they have changed. Health Profile for England 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-profile-for-england/ch…
[3] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/men-and-mental-health/index.shtml (2019)
