This month ‘ Movember ’ – a global initiative to raise awareness and tackle the issues of men’s health.
In recent years this has expanded from growing a moustache to raise awareness of men’s addressing many physical and mental health topics including health, to prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health issues and suicide prevention among men. This awareness Wales, where suicide rates are higher for men than in other part Prostate Cancer s has been particularly welcome of the United Kingdom
Prostate Cancer
According to Prostate Cancer UK; in the UK, about 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. Prostate cancer mainly affects men over 50, and your risk increases with age. The risk is even higher for black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer can develop when cells in the prostate start to grow in an uncontrolled way. Some prostate cancer grows too slowly to cause any problems or affect how long you live. Because of this, many men with prostate cancer will never need any treatment. But some prostate cancer grows quickly and is more likely to spread. This is more likely to cause problems and needs treatment to stop it spreading.
Prostate cancer that’s contained inside the prostate (called localised prostate cancer or early prostate cancer) doesn’t usually cause any symptoms. That’s why it’s important to know about your risk. But some men might have some urinary problems. These can be mild and happen over many years and may be a sign of a benign prostate problem, rather than prostate cancer. If you think you might be at risk of prostate cancer or are experiencing any symptoms, visit your GP.
Testicular Cancer
According to Cancer Research UK; in the UK around 2,300 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year. That’s about 1 out of every 100 cancers (1%) diagnosed in men. Younger men are more likely to get testicular cancer. Men in their early 30s are the most likely to get it. It then becomes less common as men get older.
Testicles are responsible for the production of male hormones (mostly testosterone) and sperm. Testicular cancer starts as an abnormal growth or tumour that develops in one or both testicles. There are several types of testicular cancer, but the most common is the germ cell tumour. Testicular cancer is a highly treatable cancer and can be effectively treated, and often cured, if diagnosed and treated early.
Testicular cancer symptoms can be similar to other conditions that affect the testicles, such as infections. Read about the symptoms of testicular cancer and when you should see your doctor here:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/testicular-cancer/symptoms
Men’s Mental Health
Part of the stigma that still exists about men’s mental health is that men have greater difficulty talking about their own issues than women do. Following a survey conducted by The Priory in 2015 they found that 40% of men won’t talk about their own mental health.
Furthermore in a 2016 survey of 1,112 employed men conducted by Opinion Leader for the Men’s Health Forum:
- 34% would be embarrassed or ashamed to take time off work for mental health concern such as anxiety or depression, compared to 13% for a physical injury. (Amongst men with mental health concerns, 46% are embarrassed or ashamed.)
- 38% would be concerned that their employer would think badly of them if they took time off work for a mental health concern – compared to 26% for a physical injury. (Amongst men with mental health concerns, 52% are concerned.)
While mental illnesses affect both men and women, the prevalence of mental illnesses in men is often lower than women. According to many studies and surveys men with mental illnesses are also less likely to have received mental health support than women.
Recognising the signs that you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health issue is the first step toward getting support.
Some of these signs could be:
- Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness
- Changes in mood, energy level, or appetite
- Problems sleeping or sleeping too much
- Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless, or on edge
- Increased worry or feeling stressed
- Misuse of alcohol and/or drugs
- Sadness or hopelessness
- Suicidal thoughts
- Feeling flat or having trouble feeling positive emotions
- Engaging in high-risk activities
- Physical symptoms like aches, headaches, digestive problems without a clear cause
- Obsessive thinking or compulsive behaviour
- Thoughts or behaviours that interfere with work, family, or social life
Where can you access support?
Care first can support you with free and confidential support, counselling and information and our counselling helpline is available 24/7. A caller to the service can remain completely anonymous. We just need to know who you work for so that we can identify exactly what support options are available to you.
If you are seeking support elsewhere or for a friend, or family member who does not have access to the Care first service, you can find a list of organisations that may be able to support here –
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/.
As part of ‘Movember’ and to raise awareness of men’s mental health more, Care first are running a Webinar ‘Movember – Men’s Health Awareness’ on Thursday 19th November 2020 at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session –
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/699647147313704720
This session will talk about men’s mental health further with the aim of raising awareness of the support available to you and your colleagues as well as other means of support for friends and family. We also hope to help strip away some of the stigma around men’s mental health which may be effecting someone’s motivation to access support.
If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.
If you wish to contact the Care first telephone counselling and information line then please don’t hesitate to call the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence
Useful sources & Information:
Some of the information sourced for this article was originally published on the links below.
If you would like to access this and further information in more detail please follow the links below –
https://prostatecanceruk.org/ https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information/about-prostate-cancer https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/testicular-cancer/about https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/testicular-cancer/symptoms https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/40-of-men-wont-talk-to-anyone-about-their-mental-health https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/key-data-mental-health https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/.