By BRIANNA FRANSEN

“Happiness and goodness starts with me. Take responsibility for yourself, and do it for your family.”
– Mike King.

Mental health is a topic that men need to talk more about.

Did you know that one in eight New Zealand men experience serious depression during their lifetime? In the 2012/13 New Zealand Health Survey, mental disorders were the third-leading cause of health loss for New Zealanders. Thirteen percent of men and 20 percent of women were likely to have been diagnosed with a common mental disorder. While women had a higher percentage, men are known to deal with mental issues differently, and a focus on men’s health is just as important.

New Zealand Comedian and Men’s Health Week Ambassador Mike King says, “Silence is the biggest killer of New Zealand males. When we’re suffering, unlike women who ring their friends and chat about problems, we hold onto them, we suck them up, because that’s our heritage – that’s what we’ve been told. Harden up, stay staunch, battle your way through it. It’s completely wrong. My message is we need to start talking about these issues.”

Continued below

Radiance Multi for Men	GO Prostate Protect	HealthZone Male Zone

The most common mental illnesses are anxiety and depressive disorders. They can be triggered by daily life stresses like physical health, relationship, family, employment, drug, alcohol or social problems. While everyone has times when they feel tense, fearful or sad, when these feelings become overwhelming to the point where it’s hard to cope with day-to-day activities like work, leisure and maintaining relationships, a mental illness is likely to be present.

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) can be shown in the form of pain, a pounding heart, or stomach cramps. It can be constant or will come and go. It’s common for people with GAD to have depression, panic attacks or obsessive-compulsive disorder. People with GAD usually expect the worst, worry excessively when there are no signs of trouble, are irritable, have difficulty concentrating, feel restless, suffer from stomach problems or poor sleep, or avoid situations that make them anxious.

It’s imperative to recognise a mental illness in yourself or others, and to seek help from a health professional. Bring balance to your life by identifying and managing stress, and spending time with those you like and trust.

Some steps you can take to invest in your own wellbeing are:

Exercise regularly – just 30 minutes a day can have huge benefits for physical, mental and sexual health

Visit a GP and learn about your family’s medical history

Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked

Eat well – a healthy, balanced diet includes plenty of vegetables, fruit and cereals, some lean meat, chicken or fish, dairy products, and lots of water. Where you can, avoid fatty and sugary foods

Look out for symptoms of depression or mental fatigue in yourself or those around you – symptoms include tiredness, sleeplessness, irritability, and a loss of interest in work or activities

Quit smoking – it increases your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and a range of cancers and other diseases 

Get enough sleep.