International Men’s Health Week begins on the Monday before Father’s Day which falls on the 13th of June this year and now that Covid has become more manageable its time to refocus on individual health and personal wellbeing. The purpose of this week is to raise awareness of preventable health problems, to support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices, and to encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males. In short, its time we talk about men’s health.
The impact of the pandemic
The pandemic has obviously brought its own array of problems to people’s lives, but it has also distracted from other serious conditions that still need our attention. By the first lockdown early-stage cancer diagnoses had fallen by a third and the decline has only increased over time. Macmillan believe that the pandemic has had a significant impact on mens health. On average 50,000 men will have missed a cancer diagnosis during the pandemic, they have based this number on different types of cancer diagnoses that have been down in recent years. For example, prostate cancer diagnoses saw a drop of 29% between 2019 and 2020. This statistic doesn’t come from prostate cancer getting rarer (it isn’t!), but because men were refusing to see their GPs to get diagnosed in the first place. This drop in numbers was understandable at the start of lockdown, but not now.
Men’s Health Week is a great opportunity for everyone to encourage men and boys to take better care of their health and to seek help or treatment at earlier stages than they would normally. One of the main issues that’s seen across most men is an inability to admit to the severity of what’s wrong and a much too nonchalant attitude to potentially life changing situations. It’s stems from an animalistic survival reflex, in which no weakness is ever to be shown no matter how grave the injury, as this would make the individual an easy target for predators. Continuing this mentality in the modern age is beyond absurd as there will never be a time that a 200kg sabre tooth tiger is prowling around waiting for a man with a slight limp to walk past. This instinct is detrimental to the health of the modern man, as many ailments will get worse over time if left unattended and something very treatable can even prove fatal.
Take a positive step
It is not my intention to scare anyone with scary facts and gruesome details, but the natural world has developed some very savage and effective viruses, parasites and bacteria that have spent millennia developing into the most dangerous versions of themselves and thinking that they will just pass with time is delusional. Even the simple tapeworm has been known to travel through its host’s body even being found in brains of patients, so its critical to address any problems as soon as they arise instead of sinking back into the familiar mindset of ‘just get on with it’ and ‘be a man’.
198,000 men under 50 die a year across Europe in comparison to only 86,500 women. It can be argued that there are many reasons for this and yes not all of those will be because someone didn’t see a doctor, but the issue is how many of those were preventable. Especially here in the UK it is easy for anyone to access a GP and so instead of thinking up a million excuses as to why you can’t go, think of all the people whose lives would have to drastically change if your health declined. At the end of the day not looking after yourself is a fundamentally selfish ideology where you aren’t considering what happens to those close to you.
Your to-do list:
Men’s health forum recommends a couple of important practices to incorporate into your life for a better understanding of yourself and your health.
-Take notice of what’s going on in your body and mind
-Do the DIY Man MOT (this is a personal health evaluation that comes with the supporting information you need)
-Get an NHS Health Check (they are free and blood tests can be scheduled too for an in-depth review)
These steps are not just for someone that isn’t feeling 100%. It is so important to take a moment to assess yourself both physically and mentally. We often rush head long into life and many injuries, relationship breakdowns, psychological stresses, and problematic situations we find ourselves in could have been so easily avoided with a moment of intrinsic focus beforehand.
I myself have recently booked in a blood test for Monday and although I am worried that the results may not be ideal I know that doing nothing means I am readily accepting the deterioration of my own physical health and allowing a personal problem to have a negative impact on those closest to me.
My challenge for you over Men’s Health Week is to talk to someone about something negative you are experiencing, be it in relation to; physical health, mental health, your career, your family or a relationship, anything that is causing you to suffer. If your one of the lucky few with none you can think of then perhaps you can initiate that conversation and create a comfortable environment in which another person can share what is bothering them.
Be brave and talk about it!
The Bounce Back Journey of Men’s Health
In 2020, 18 men shared their stories of overcoming trauma in The Bounce Back Journey Of Men’s Health. These stories have all been shared to show that there is a way forward from having suicidal thoughts or depression, through cancer and after male rape.
The foreword was written by TV presenter Martin Roberts, who also shared his mental health story.
The Bounce Back Journey of Men’s Health is available on Amazon here.
Did you like this blog? Here are some links to other blogs you may find useful:
- https://www.discoveryourbounce.com/2808-2/
- https://www.discoveryourbounce.com/5-ways-to-support-others/
- https://www.discoveryourbounce.com/a-spotlight-on-anxiety/
- https://www.discoveryourbounce.com/loneliness-in-the-workplace/
- https://www.discoveryourbounce.com/the-importance-of-sleep/
This blog has been written by Tom Lee.
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