Steven Wilkerson, a former Marine who fought in Iraq and a father of three, makes $8 an hour at a Tampa fast-food restaurant. He usually gets off work and takes the bus home at 10 p.m., too late to see his kids before they go to bed. Wilkerson, 28, is just one of millions of...
Category: Depression
The Hidden Cause of Depression: Five Things Your Doctor Never Told You About
Like millions of others in the U.S. and throughout the world, I’ve been depressed a lot in my life and I’ve taken medications to help relieve the hopelessness, irritability, and lack of energy that plagued me. In 2004, I wrote a book, The Irritable Male Syndrome: Understanding the 4 Key Causes of Depression and Aggression that gathered...Continue reading
The Man Box: How to Break Free Before It Kills You
I was five years old when my uncle drove me to the mental hospital. He was taking me to see my father who had suffered “a nervous breakdown.” Later I learned that he had become increasingly depressed because he couldn’t make a living supporting his family. Like me, he was a writer, and found it...Continue reading
Meditation Isn’t What You Think
Dear Mr. Dad: A few years ago, you wrote about the benefits of meditation for children. I honestly thought you were joking. But a counselor at my son’s school just recommended it, saying it could help my son’s severe anxiety. When I asked how to do it, he handed me a copy of your article!...Continue reading
How Problems at Home Can Affect Your Health and State of Mind
You found the love of your life early on and feel lucky compared to others who remain single around you. And, then suddenly, you notice subtle and then drastic changes in your relationship. There are many reasons a relationship can fall apart. Lifestyle changes like a loss of a job, or a lack of communication...Continue reading
In Search of My Lost Body: Real Men Eat Meat and Other Masculinity Myths
It’s January and once again I begin thinking about losing weight. I keep track of my weight and keep losing and gaining the same 20 pounds. I eat pretty well, but I eat too much. Like most people, there are a million reasons why I weigh more than I want to weigh. I’ve always been...Continue reading
Effects of Divorce on Men
Tough, resilient, and confident – this is the way men are portrayed in the media. Men are not pictured as being weak or needing help, especially when it comes to the family unit. But, according to a study published in the Journal of Men’s Health, men are more susceptible to health issues following a divorce...Continue reading
What You Don’t Know About Doctor Suicides Could Put Your Life at Risk
Most of us wish our health care system served us better. We pay too much for too little care. Often, we take our frustration out on our doctors. But our doctors may be in worse shape than we are. I know. I was in medical school and saw what we do to our doctors. They...Continue reading
#Me(n) Too: Why Sexual Abuse is a Men’s Issue Not Just a Women’s Issue
More and more men are being recognized as sexual abusers and more and more women are coming out telling the truth about having been abused. We have gotten used to seeing rich and famous men including Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, and Donald Trump being held to account for their abusive behavior. More recently we have...Continue reading
Treating Depression: An Expert Discusses Risks, Benefits of Ketamine
Controversial option seems to work when other methods fail Up to a third of patients with depression don’t respond to traditional forms of treatment. For those patients, the dark fog that hovers over their lives feels like it will never lift. But a new treatment called ketamine has recently made waves all over the internet....Continue reading