* * * NOVEMBER IS MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH * **
Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: It is easier to say "My tooth is aching" than to say ‘My heart is broken."
—C.S. Lewis
Wildcat Alumni Spotlight:
Khaliel Mack
After graduating from Wildcat in 2022, Khaliel chose to continue working on creative writing and poetry while looking for a job. His poetry is about his childhood and current young adult life. He also does fiction pieces. He was inspired by his high school English teacher at JVL, Ms. Engel.
Khaliel is most proud of: "pushing myself to pursue more education.”
Khaliel’s s favorite memories from JVL Wildcat include: when the seniors took an overnight trip to Philadelphia. He loved creating fun memories, like playing paintball, with his classmates and teachers. He also enjoyed taking a tour of Philadelphia and staying at the Marriot hotel.
Khaliel’s advice for current Wildcats: "Even though school can be hard, as long as you keep a level-head and stay positive, just be patient with your time. Keep going no matter what. Keep your head up. Try your best in whatever subject you can. And don’t give up!!!!! I was so happy when I got my high school diploma!"
Fun Fact: Khaliel had a nickname in JVL. He is multi-talented and was known for his dancing and his nickname was “SHOWTIME." He still does urban dancing today!
If you know of or are, yourself a Wildcat Superstar Alum who would like to share an inspiring story with our community, we would love to hear from you! Email nbogutsky_SCT@jvlwildcat.org
The Importance of Men's Mental Health
According to NIH (The National Institute of Health), men are less likely to seek mental health care than women. This is unfortunately because of the stereotypes and stigmas that society has created. Men are often told by society to "Man up!" or that "It's weak to be emotional," or to "hide your feelings." Thus, seeking therapy may be a difficult step to take for alot of men today.
Mental health contributes not to only physical health but also self-esteem, motivation, professional work, and relationships. If a man's mental health isn't cared for, this can lead to lower motivation, lower productivity, increased depression and anxiety, and potentially suicide.
Research has shown that women are diagnosed with depression twice as much as men, however, in 2020, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) reported that the rate of suicide is 4 times higher for men than women. It's important that men feel comfortable and safe enough to address mental health concerns instead of keeping things bottled up inside. Men everywhere should have a safe community and support system that encourages them to open up more about their feelings and ask for help when needed. This will then ultimately lead to overall better mental health in men and less suicides.
Learn more
Resource of the Month:
MOVEMBER Foundation
Globally, by average, 1 man dies by suicide every minute of every day. In the United States, the rate of male suicide is astronomically high. 4 in 5 suicides are men. Movember is a foundation that works to promote the importance of men's mental health care.
- Movember looks at mental health through a male lens, focusing on prevention, early intervention, and health promotion.
- Movember's mission is to work towards a world where men take action to be mentally well and are supported by those around them.
- They work on uniting experts, funding bold new approaches, and embracing fresh perspectives to focus on the issue at hand: mental health care for men, men's mental health awareness, and suicide prevention.
- They fund over 1,320 mental health projects globally.
- Ways in which Movember works to help improve the mental health care of men include: education, conversations, access to resources/services, funding projects, community support, and advocating for men as a whole.
- You can download the MOVEMBER App ~ available on iOS app store.