While we’re generally happier tackling physical health problems than previous generations, as modern men are still reluctant to talk about mental illness. Yet it can be every bit as damaging and affects around 58 million American adults every year, costing the economy $226 billion and contributing to a considerable number of deaths. So what do mental health issues involve, and how can you tackle them?

Common mental health problems

The term ‘mental health’ covers a wide range of subjects. It includes common issues you might come across in everyday life, such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, anorexia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and rarer ones such as schizophrenia, psychosis and borderline personality disorder.

Having a mental health disorder doesn’t make somebody dangerous, but it can make life hell for them, causing distress, making it difficult to do things with other people and making it hard to do all the day-to-day stuff you take for granted. Some mental health problems last for just a few weeks, but some last a lifetime.

What causes mental health issues?

Because of limited research, we still know relatively little about mental health issues compared to physical ones. What we do know is that genetics play a role in some issues, while others occur because of our experiences; for example, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often affects people who have survived genuinely terrifying situations, such as being abused as a child or going to war.

Drug use, including the legitimate use of prescribed drugs, can also cause mental health issues, as can something as seemingly minor; seasonal affective disorder (SAD), for example, occurs when people don’t get enough sunlight in the winter.

Getting help

Despite the current limitations in our understanding of mental health, there are some very effective treatments available. If you’re struggling with any of the issues above, don’t hesitate to go to your doctor. While men often find it difficult to talk about how they’re feeling, your doctor will undoubtedly have helped many guys having similar problems and won’t judge you in any way.

Your doctor will talk to you about what your options are. It may be that medication will help or that you’ll benefit from talking to a therapist.

If you have a son or daughter struggling with mental health problems, get in touch with an organization such as Newport Academy, which specializes in giving teenagers suffering from mental health issues the confidence, peer support and life skills to find their place in the world.

Changing attitudes

One of the single biggest things men can do to help those with mental health issues is to combat the stigma attached to them, especially surrounding men. An increase in the number of guys being open about their problems is gradually changing attitudes and helping others to seek potentially life-saving help rather than suffer in silence.

If we can remove the burden of prejudice, it will make it easier for guys with these kinds of problems to not only get help, but to live their lives to the fullest despite their illnesses, and in many cases, recover from them. While mental health issues can feel overwhelming, life goes on, and even men severely affected have the potential to manage them so they can enjoy cars, movies, sports or whatever they’re into.

While society has long told men that talking about how they feel isn’t ‘manly,’ things are changing. There is now a lot more awareness of mental health issues and a better understanding that they affect any and everybody, and there’s a lot more support available as a result. So if you’re struggling, tell someone, even if it’s just a buddy.