Suicide in Young Men: Understanding Why Young More Young Men Are Ending Their Lives
Whether you have unfortunately experienced the loss of a young man or have noticed an increasing number of news stories and obituaries appearing that involve the deaths of young men, you are not alone in feeling like such events have been steadily increasing. As a clinician, counsellor, and therapist, I have come to see several factors that I believe have, and are, contributing to the deterioration of young men (approximately between the ages of 20 to 45) and what must be done to help these young men in navigating and improving their mental health. Such factors include: Disconnect from peers and social groups (outside of the digital world), ‘Learned helplessness’ and a low perceived ability to problem solve and navigate life’s challenges and stressors, Distorted and heavily biased views of the world and pessimism for the future (for the self and the world), A low sense of purpose, passion, and meaning in life, and, in connection to all of the aforementioned factors, Poor mental health’s impact on physical health, self-care, and life-skills. Disconnect from Peers and Social Groups Many young males will voice to their family, work friends, and others concerned with their lack of interaction and time with friends and others outside of the digital world (I.e., Texting and sending photos and videos on social media apps, gaming, and other forms of communication via phone or computer), that they are ‘still hanging out’ with their friends enough and/or that they ‘don’t really care’ to see their friends outside of work and/or school hours. I can say that, in my practice, when I have seen young males who feel this way, they more often than not, have some of the more ‘obvious’ symptoms of low-mood or depression, but also several signs and symptoms that many do not consider when thinking of a male in their life who is struggling with their mental health. These signs and symptoms include: disturbed/poor sleep and insomnia, no longer taking part in activities they once enjoyed, drastic change in diet/appetite, irritability, agitation, and/or increased anxiety, poor hygiene, and being inconsistent with or not attending work and/or schooling as consistently as they once had. Technology like social media and video games (in the PC gaming /online age in particular) not only change how our brains work, but significantly impact our ability to focus on other tasks, sleep, our consideration of, and drive to, spend time with those we care about, complete work and/or school work, and interact with the physical world through healthy activities (E.g.,Hiking/walking, sports, community involvement, etc.). Young men often become so overly stimulated by things like social media, pornography, and/or gaming that certain parts of their brain become extremely fatigued, and averse to the healthier actions and activities in life, that all their brain begins to cherish and value is that stimulation. The consequences of this are not only the previously mentioned mental health symptoms, but feelings of ‘numbness’ or ‘blankness,’ wanting to sleep during hours outside [...]