By Melanie Dallas, LPC

You may be aware that June is recognized as Men’s Health Month, but I’ve also seen it referred to as Men’s Health Awareness Month, and more recently, Men’s Mental Health (Awareness) Month. But whatever you call June, as a mental health practitioner and a firm believer that mental health is a critical part of overall health, I call it a good time to talk about men’s mental health.

Actually, I think every month is a good time to talk about men’s mental health – mainly because men seem to have a hard time talking about it themselves, especially if they are struggling with their own mental health. And that’s a problem – because without talking about it, you can’t really get to feeling better. Also, without talking about it, meeting the challenge head-on (like most men see themselves doing with a challenge), it may get worse.

According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), in 2023, just under 46% of men with mental illness received treatment. But a little back-of-the-envelope math provides a more concerning perspective (actually I used a calculator). In 2023, there were about 129 million men 18 and over in the U.S. Using the well-accepted statistic that one in five people will experience mental illness in their lifetime means about 26 million men nationally struggled with mental illness in 2023. If only 46% received treatment, a full 14 million men went without.

By way of comparison, the total population of our state of Georgia is about 11 million – which means that there are more men in the US struggling with untreated mental illness than everyone in our state!

I know it can be difficult to talk about your feelings. Even as a woman, I sometimes struggle with that – because being vulnerable can be hard for anyone. I am sure it is even more difficult if you’ve been told all your life that talking about your feelings makes you weak, or that real men just suck it up and move on. I also know just saying that none of those things is true probably isn’t enough to change most men’s minds.

But the fact is, if you are a man struggling with mental illness, there are other people involved. If you are a husband, father, co-worker, teammate, your struggles affect all of those around you. If you are struggling with depression or another mental health challenge it may affect your ability to be present for your family, to be a good husband, an involved father. That’s not your fault, it is the nature of depression.

Actually, that’s one of the two most important things to know about mental illness. One, that it is not your fault. Depression (as well as anxiety disorders, bipolar, schizoaffective disorder) are all caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. There may also be some genetic and lifestyle factors that can increase your risk, but the bottom line you didn’t cause your own mental illness.

The other and most important thing to know is that mental illness can be treated. And you – yes, I am talking to you men – you have the power to do it, to seek treatment, to do what you need to do. Because those other people your struggles are affecting want you to feel like you again, to be your best – and I would bet anything they will support you and help.

Fortunately, there are a lot of resources for you to get help. If you are in crisis, call 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). You can always call Highland Rivers at 800-729-5700. The Georgia Peer2Peer warm line is available 24/7 at 888-945-1414. You can also ask your primary care provider for a recommendation or referral. But as difficult as it may be, do it – because everyone wants to see you be well, and more than that, you deserve to be.

Melanie Dallas is a licensed professional counselor and CEO of Highland Rivers Behavioral Health, which provides treatment and recovery services for individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities in a 13-county region of northwest Georgia that includes Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Floyd, Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk and Whitfield counties.