Project Manager | Qualtrics Survey Development Maestro | Technical Documentation and LMS Expert Extraoredinaire
Interesting fact that I think flew WAY under the radar... June, as we all know...was Pride month. But it wasn't always the case. Pride month replaced something else... June USED to be Men's Mental Health Awareness month. But because we live in a world where men are just told to "suck it up", Pride month took it over. Every year, over 800,000 men WORLDWIDE make a permanent exit from life for a variety of reasons. The CDC indicates that almost 53 percent of the record 49,449 deaths by suicide in the United States were among individuals age 45 and older. Among those ages 45 to 64, deaths by suicide increased nearly 7 percent since 2021; they rose more than 8 percent for those 65-plus. Other research reveals that being without work was associated with a more than twofold increase in suicide risk. People who were unemployed were more than 16 times as likely to die by suicide as people with jobs. And with the job market currently in this "apocalyptic" state where employers hold all the power and people are going 10, 12, or even 18+ months without work...these numbers will undoubtedly climb. So next time someone on LinkedIn shares their frustration about their struggles to find a new career role for a prolonged period of time...they may also be crying out for help. Consider that before commenting negatively on their post, or telling them they are the problem.
Rather than criticizing how other awareness efforts can crowd the message, be a channel leader in promoting what you care about. And for perspective, here's a list of all your June awareness causes: There are several awareness months celebrated in June — though the five that often get the most attention include LGBTQ+ Pride Month, PTSD Awareness Month, Men’s Health Month, Gun Violence Awareness Month, and Immigrant Heritage Month. https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/june-awareness-days-months#:~:text=There%20are%20several%20awareness%20months,Month%2C%20and%20Immigrant%20Heritage%20Month.
There's a lot of good data here. But as other comments show you're going to be ignored or picked at because you aren't addressing their agenda, which is of course the only one that actually matters. And given the topic you're unlikely to see big traffic.
I saw numerous posts from individuals and companies supporting Men’s Mental Health Month. I don’t think Pride replaced it, but two things can live simultaneously, especially considering that men also celebrate Pride month.
Fantastic Post. 4 out of 5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Todd Lucas, M.Ed I wholeheartedly echo the sentiment expressed in the original post, although the message might be lost if we do not focus on supporting each other, regardless of which month represents which cause. It's crucial to recognize that May highlights Mental Health Awareness Month, while J𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 are often highlighted for supporting Men's Mental Health. June simply presents an overlap. There isn't a designated #Women's Mental Health Awareness Month #shocking As a strong advocate for #genderequality, I believe that societal norms often discourage men from embracing vulnerability and expressing their emotions openly. This standard not only harms men but also undermines our collective well-being. Encouraging men to acknowledge and process their emotions fosters healthier relationships and stronger communities. Rather than framing discussions around "us vs. them," we should strive for inclusivity and collaboration. Let's work #together towards a future where everyone—regardless of gender or identity—feels empowered to prioritize mental health and support one another all year long.🌟 Latitia Graham Rebecca Eusey Carol Calvano Nicholas Dalessandro
“ But because we live in a world where men are just told to "suck it up", Pride month took it over.” We also live in a world where individuals with mental health issues (including disabilities) go ignored, which is extremely bad. And besides… July serves better purpose because it focuses both on mental health issues from both men AND women. Why only focus on mental health issues residing in men? What about the women? They shouldn’t be ignored either.
Many awareness months share with other causes. Download the toolkit for Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, here: https://menshealthmonth.org/#:~:text=June%20is%20Men's%20Health%20Month,health%20issues%20around%20the%20world.
Isn't it lovely when you're struggling with mental health, say it, and other people only see what they think you've said about them? They completely, totally miss the point. If you haven't found yourself lying alone at the bottom of that pit, you don't get it. No one gets all the words perfect when they are commenting from a place of pain. Instead of picking on the way something came across--OR PUNISHING THE PERSON BECAUSE YOU THINK THEY SAID SOMETHING they didn't intend to say--either say something supportive or keep scrolling. We have so much work to do to learn how to not be mean to each other.
As a queer man, I've celebrated both just fine, but also have been told horrendous things by men like you who think mental health should only be conserved for straight folk. I do think you have the opportunity to learn more and gain solidarity with your gay brothers and hope you take this as a chance to learn rather than discriminate. I am sorry if you feel like you haven't been seen during your time of struggles, but so many of the lgbtq+ community are in the same boat, its us against the struggle, not us against one another!
Come on, Todd Lucas, M.Ed. You can do better. Do you think that we cant celebrate Christmas and Hanukah because they both fall during the same timeframe? Absolute nonsense. Please tell me ONCE when you were told that your mental health didn't matter because it was Pride Month. Please tell me when ANYONE in the history of NEVER said to "suck it up because Pride took over". Come on, man. Seriously - do better.
Manager of Events | Board Certified Coach (BCC)
2moTopics and causes and beliefs can coexist and still be successful on their own and from an intersectional lens as well. To suggest one replaced the other also ignores how many cis- and trans-men in the LGBTQIA+ community also deserve mental health advocacy. From my perspective men’s mental health has been gaining traction and conversation, but often doesn’t exclude other identities or people from the conversation. You may be feeling like it “flew under the radar” from the isolationist approach you’re using to research it.