Men and mental health

When Washington native Ronald Chandler joined the Army right after graduating from Washington High School in 1982, he looked forward to an exciting career. Now, the Bronze Star recipient is retired and living in Frankfurt, Germany. He’s also living with the mental health effects brought on by years of stress and the ravages of war from patrolling the tense Korean border to being deployed to Iraq.
“Every day we would be receiving gunfire from unknown places, witnessing vehicles being blown up from roadside bombs and whatever else they would use to try to kill us,” Chandler said.
He describes it as “18 months of hell,” and noticed changes in his thoughts and behavior.
“Being men, we don’t call out for help, we just move on,” he said. “As time would pass, I would find myself changing in bad ways: bad temper, loss of thoughts, always being aware of my surroundings, not able to relax, not being able to truly love someone, and always feeling like I had no control of life itself.”
Chandler retired from the Army, but still deals with the after-effects.
“I find myself very disconnected from my family and loved ones to this day,” he said. “I deal with a new monster in my head daily – on how to get up out of bed to work or just to do something. I find myself very defensive, overly protective. I find the Veterans Administration not really doing a lot to help for our issue.”
Chandler is not alone. Research shows the crisis of men not seeking help with mental health issues extends far beyond the military. Millions of men wrestle with a variety of mental health issues ranging from depression to anxiety and beyond. What’s worrisome is that many don’t seek help chiefly because they are men.
“As a man, I would just put this on the back-burner, thinking if I would tell someone I was having thoughts like this, they would think of me as being a weak man or a problem and discharge me from the Army,” Chandler said. “As a man in a combat unit, you were taught to never show sign of weakness.”
That attitude is especially alarming when you consider the numbers: Men make up more than 75 percent of suicide victims in the United States, with high rates of suicide among veterans, young American Indians and gay men. Substance abuse occurs in men at a rate of three-to-one compared to women.
Do genetics play a role in this?
Dr. P.V. Nickell, chairman of Allegheny Health Network’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Institute, said, “The genetic differences between men and women are almost certainly at the root of these differences, but I don’t think anyone can explain on a basic level why.”
Studies show women are more likely to experience some sort of mental health issue, but are also more likely to seek treatment.
“Most mental health conditions are more prevalent in women than in men,” said Nickell. “Women tend to attempt suicide more often than men, but men tend to use more lethal means, leading to higher rates of completion in men.”
He said there’s also one important difference in the willingness to get help.
“There are differences in the lifetime prevalence of several mental health conditions between women and men, with almost all affecting more women than men,” he said. “And, as a general comment, women are more likely to seek help than men.”
The stigma that surrounds seeking mental health treatment appears to be lifting, albeit very slowly.
“As a personal observation, there is less stigma in seeking treatment for mental health conditions than there was 15 or so years ago,” said Nickell. “This likely is due to a combination of factors, including parity (requiring health insurance companies to cover treatment for mental health problems at the same level as medical conditions) and numerous celebrities being open about their struggles and treatment.”
One notable star, former pro wrestler and now actor Dwayne Johnson, has been public about his struggle with depression.
Nickell believes men under-utilize mental health services, but said there is hope for change.
“…It is improving,” he said. “There are a number of things that can help identify and get more men and women into treatment. Examples include routine screening for depression in primary care offices and educational efforts at workplaces.”
Nickell said the easiest place to start is with a loved one, and then your family doctor.
“My best advice is to talk to a spouse, a friend and then likely start with one’s primary care physician,” he advised. “Most PCP’s are comfortable managing mild-to-moderate mental health problems and if they feel out of their league, typically have therapists and psychiatrists to whom they routinely refer.”
Chandler has sought help for his PTSD and other issues, even getting treatment outside the VA system. He has also found respite by playing golf.
“This allowed me to find an escape from the daily thought of negativity, which I still use as a coping method,” he said. “I just wish I would be better every day and not lose interest in things I used to love to do. I wish I would not have to put on a fake face when people ask how my day is going when I’m fighting this issue each and every day. I wish and hope that what I shared will open the eyes of others to help us help ourselves.”