Men’s Mental Health

Men’s Mental Health and the Burden of Masculinity
Good mental health is extremely important. While we have made very large strides in understanding mental health issues we still have work to do when it comes to men’s mental health. Although both men and women are affected by mental illness, it is oftentimes overlooked in males. Researchers at The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimate that at least 6 million men suffer from depressive disorders, including suicidal thoughts, annually. However, mental health conditions among men often go untreated because they are far less likely to seek treatment than women. Untreated mental health conditions increase the risk for suicide, so it’s no surprise that suicide rates are higher among men. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, men die by suicide 3.9x more often than females; 75% of suicide deaths are men. So what is preventing men from getting the treatment they need? Stigma and the culture norms surrounding masculinity are two contributing factors.

Stigma & Suffering In Silence

It’s difficult to understand the silent epidemic of mental health issues growing among men in the United States. Silent, because it’s a topic rarely spoken of, swept under the rug at both the individual level and by society at large. Stigma not only bars men from speaking to their loved ones about mental illness, but also from addressing it themselves and seeking help. Stigma affects the way men perceive mental health concerns and therapy. Common ways this can manifest is:

  • Men may struggle to express their emotions.
  • Men may not realize that they have a mental health condition.
  • Men may turn to substances or other unhealthy coping mechanisms over seeking treatment.
  • Men may believe that they can push through negative emotions or work through problematic behaviors on their own.
  • Men may have a negative opinion about the effectiveness of therapy.
  • Men might not consider seeking treatment until their mental health or behavioral issues are severe.
  • Men might have difficulties being vulnerable in therapy and connecting with their therapist.

Source: The Hub: Behavioral Health Action Organization for Southwestern CT – Click here to view the full blog post

 

J. Stuart Albon: Building Resilience in Our Children

J. Stuart Albon: Building Resilience in Our Children 

Stuart Albon, an Associate Professor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Founder and Director of Think:Kids, is giving a special presentation in New Canaan on November 8th!

Dr. Ablon will be speaking about the increase in mental health and behavioral challenges we have seen in children and adolescents over the past decade. He will be offering concrete strategies parents can use to increase the social and emotional resilience of their children.

You can learn more about Dr. Albon on his website, and Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Tuesday, November 8th at 7:00 PM

New Canaan High School Auditorium.

No registration is required for this event.

This event is co-sponsored with the New Canaan Parent Teacher Associations & Parent Faculty Association, New Canaan Community Foundation, and New Canaan CARES.

Celebration Centerpieces 2022

Earth Garden is supporting New Canaan CARES and our community this Thanksgiving with Celebration Centerpieces.

This is an opportunity to show someone that you are thankful to have them in your life or a beautiful way to add joy to your own holiday table! At the same time, you will be providing much-needed financial support to our organization.

Choose either rich fall colors or soft fall hues in either a small or large arrangement.

Click here to order

Delivery is available in New Canaan only.

Arrangements will be delivered Tuesday, November 22nd and Wednesday, November 23rd.

Second Annual ForeCARES is November 8th!

 

New Canaan CARES is excited to announce our second annual ForeCARES Mini Golf event!

Tee times are: 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 & 1:00

Join us on this day off of school for an 18-hole “par-tee.” Fore CARES will be run “shotgun” style. At a particular tee time, each group of players starts at the same time but at different holes. Each hole is limited to four players at a time. CARES may combine smaller groups to form a foursome.

This event is $20 per golfer, with the proceeds going directly towards CARES programming! The event will be held rain or shine and tickets are non-refundable once purchased.

Children under 12 must have supervision to attend. Please plan on arriving 15 minutes before your start time to check-in. Those starting late may not finish all 18 holes and may not stay past the next start time to complete the round. Groups are limited to 4 players per hole.

Click here to purchase your tickets!

Author Visit: Sivan Hong

New Canaan CARES is excited to welcome local author Sivan Hong!

Some may think of Halloween as a super fun day, but to others, it can be overwhelming. From feeling shy in costume to being afraid of not recognizing friends and teachers in theirs, Halloween can be full of jitters. Sivan will read her book Benny J. and the Horrible Halloween and talk about ways to overcome these jitters and how to have a super fun day in spite of these fears.

After the story, we will be decorating mini pumpkins for Halloween! This program is recommend for children ages 4-7 with a parent or caregiver.

Click here to register for the event.

More about Sivan:

Sivan’s bestselling children’s book series, The Super Fun Day Books, focus on neurodiverse children who overcome their challenges with perseverance and bravery. In addition to her writing, Sivan also serves as a Trustee on the Boards of the Rita Allen Foundation, Multicultural Children’s Book Day, and the ASPCA. She has previously worked as a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, and as a partner at The Bridgespan Group.

Sivan has more information about her books on her website. Be sure to listen to some of the podcasts she’s been featured on as well, such as Navigating the Spectrum with Michele Portlock, where Sivan talks about advocating for her neurodivergent children, and the No Limits Podcast with Lisa Jacovsky, where Sivan expands on working in different industries and transitioning to writing and illustrating.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness of this stigmatized and often taboo topic. We use this month to shift public perception, spread hope and share vital information with people affected by suicide.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) aims to ensure that individuals, friends, and families can access the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and seek help.

Resources

One Pill Can Kill: Fentanyl Awareness

 

Fentanyl Awareness

Fentanyl, along with other illicit substances such as methamphetamine and cocaine, is added to counterfeit prescription drugs. Since these counterfeit pills are not made in a lab, the dosing is not precise. In a batch of counterfeit pills, one pill may contain a small dose of harmful additives, and others may contain 100% additives such as fentanyl.

Counterfeit pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media, making them easily available to anyone with a smartphone – including minors. Buying drugs through social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram has become increasingly popular among students. Dealers use these platforms to post photos of their products, with further communication happening on encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp.

Fentanyl seizures at the US-Mexico Border have reached an all-time high. Over 2,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized in July 2022 – which was three times higher than the amount seized in June, and up 200% from May. “Rainbow fentanyl,” pictured above, is particularly concerning to deputies due to its candy-like appearance. This rainbow coloring may be an attempt for drug cartels to target younger users.

You can learn more about the danger of illicit fentanyl through Facing Fentanyl, the DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign, or The Hub CT’s You Think You Know page. For more information on minors using social media to purchase drugs, read The Hub CT’s article “Kids Can Buy Drugs Easier Than You Think.”

World’s Worst Mom: Lenore Skenazy

Lenore Skenazy is the World’s Worst Mom

When Lenore Skenazy published her newspaper column “Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone she was quickly labeled the “World’s Worst Mom.”  She explains it best in this snippet. Lenore suggests that “over-protectiveness is a danger in and of itself. A child who thinks he can’t do anything on his own eventually can’t.”

Lenore published Free-Range Kids, a book that launched a movement. Free-range parenting urges parents to give their children independence, let them have adventures, and learn to solve problems for themselves. Lenore recognizes that as a parent, there is an innate need to protect children, but over-protecting them can be harmful. Step back so kids can step up, Lenore’s non-profit Let Grow urges. In the long term, parents are looking to launch their kids into a life of independence, resilience, and resourcefulness.

You can learn more about Lenore Skenazy and her work by visiting Let Grow‘s website, Free-Range Kids‘ website with blog posts by Lenore, and by watching World’s Worst Mom, Lenore’s reality TV series similar to Supernanny with episodes such as “20-Year Old Not Allowed On The Public Transport,” “Mum Doesn’t Let Her 10-Year-Old Eat By Himself,” and “9-Year-Old Can’t Go Anywhere Without His Mother.”

Listen and laugh with Lenore Skenazy speak on Wednesday, September 14th, at Saxe Auditorium. Learn more about the program and registration here.

Juneteenth 2022

June 19th is Freedom Day

When the Emancipation Proclamation took effect in 1863, not all enslaved people in Confederate territory were immediately freed. In Texas, freedom came for enslaved people on June 19, 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, took control of the state, and announced the 250,000 enslaved black people were free by executive decree.

Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day. Although it has long been celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans. June 19, 2022 is the second year that Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday.

 

To learn more about this significant holiday, check out these resources:

National Museum of African American History and Culture: Understanding and Celebrating Juneteenth

Learning for Justice: Teaching Juneteenth

Colors of Us: 20 Children’s Books Celebrating Juneteenth

CT Post: What Juneteenth means to CT community leaders