It’s International Men’s Day on Saturday 19 November and Knowsley Council is raising awareness of some of the serious issues that affect men and their wellbeing and the advice and support available.
Mental health support
One in 8 men have a common mental health problem such as anxiety, stress, or depression. Left unchecked these issues can worsen, however, there’s lots of information, advice and support available to help men look after their own mental health and wellbeing.
Better Health – Every Mind Matters has a range of simple steps to help you tackle stress and improve your mental wellbeing. At its heart is the free, NHS-approved Mind Plan, available on the Every Mind Matters website. By answering five short questions people get a personalised mental health action plan, providing practical tips to help you deal with stress and anxiety, boost your mood, sleep better and feel more in control. People can also join a 4-week email support programme where you can get reminders, receive new tips and are encouraged to make looking after your mental wellbeing part of your everyday routine.
If you’re experiencing stress or anxiety due to the cost of living crisis, the Life Rooms team is available in Knowsley’s libraries providing help and support for money issues and your mental health.
Life Rooms is available in Knowsley’s libraries, during usual branch opening hours from 10am to 4pm at Halewood Library (on Mondays), Huyton Library (on Tuesdays), Prescot Library (on Wednesdays), Stockbridge Village Library (on Thursdays) and Kirkby Library on Fridays.
Stay Alive App
Sadly, suicide is the single most common cause of death in men under 45 and the rate of suicide is highest in middle aged men.
Stay Alive, the suicide prevention app, is designed to help both those who are having suicidal thoughts and those who are concerned about someone else.
It has several features including a safety plan and LifeBox where people can upload images or videos that remind them of their reasons to stay alive. The app also directs people to local help and gives people the tools to start a conversation about mental health and suicide.
The Stay Alive app is available free on iOS and Android devices.
Samaritans is a safe place to talk 24 hours a day about whatever is troubling you. Call 116 123 or visit the Samaritans website.
If you are in mental health crisis and you need urgent help, you can call the NHS Mental Health crisis line on freephone 0800 051 1508. NHS staff will then support you to get the help you need. Available for people of all ages, including children and young people, available 24/7.
Problem gambling
Gambling becomes a problem when it harms your mental or physical health, relationships with family and friends or finances. It’s the urge to gamble continuously despite the negative consequences or desire to stop, causing harm to the gambler and those around them.
If you or a loved one has a gambling problem, or are at risk of developing one, support is available from the Beacon Counselling Trust.
Worried about cancer symptoms?
If you’ve had unexplained blood that doesn’t come from an obvious injury (such as blood in your poo or pee), an unexplained lump, weight loss which feels significant to you or an unexplained pain that lasts three weeks or more, it could be a sign of cancer.
Men are encouraged to seek advice from their GP, if they are suffering with any of these symptoms.
It’s probably nothing serious, but finding cancer early makes it more treatable, so just speak to your GP.
In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The three main risk factors for getting prostate cancer are getting older (it mainly affects men aged 50 or over), having a family history of prostate cancer and being black.
If you have any of the risk factors, or have concerns, speak to your GP. They can talk to you about your risk, and about the tests that are used to diagnose prostate cancer.
Most men with early prostate cancer don’t have any signs or symptoms. If you do notice changes in the way you urinate, this is more likely to be a sign of a very common non-cancerous problem called an enlarged prostate, or another health problem. But it’s still a good idea to get it checked out.
Testicular cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in young men. It is a highly treatable cancer if diagnosed and treated early.
Regular checks can help detect any early changes – changes in shape, or size, or a lump that wasn’t there before – and if something doesn’t seem right make an appointment to speak to your GP.
Cllr Christine Bannon, Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Health, said:
“Men can sometimes find it difficult to talk about how they’re feeling or to seek advice for any concerns they may be having about their health or wellbeing. If you’re finding things difficult right now or know a man who is having a tough time, please take some time this International Men’s Day to find out about the support that’s available.
“It’s a particularly challenging time with the increasing cost of living and money worries can cause anxiety, low mood and stress as people have to make difficult decisions about what they can afford. Mental health and money worries are interlinked but it’s important to know that there is a range of help and support available to you to help you cope during these uncertain times.
“No one should feel they don’t know where to turn as there’s so much information, advice and support available.”