While Men’s Health Month came to end this past week, it’s still important to talk about men’s health issues year-round. As a woman, men’s health might not be at the forefront of our minds but it is increasingly essential that women start talking about depression and suicide in men. Already nationally, there has been increased...Continue reading
Category: Psychology
The Gift of Maleness Part 5: The Third Chimpanzee and Male Suicide
The most tragic indictor of a world out of balance is the suicide rate in males. At every age, males take their own lives at rates much higher than females: Male 10 to 14-year-olds have suicide rates 1.8 times higher than females Male 15 to 19-year-olds have suicide rates 4.0 times higher than females. During...
The One Problem That Underlies Male Anger and Wrecks Relationships
I’ve been a psychotherapist for fifty years now and I’ve seen a lot of angry men and counseled thousands of women who live with angry men. I’ve also helped many more relationships recover when they’ve been on the brink of ending. I’ve found that there is one problem that causes more damage than any other,...Continue reading
Intersectionality and the Tragedy of the Black Male
Feminist ignoring of male issues has especially harmed the black community. “Intersectionality is a concept often used in critical theories to describe the ways in which oppressive institutions (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, classism, etc.) are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another.” Intersectionality is a well-known word among people concerned about those who...Continue reading
Why Is My Wife Always Mad at Me?
I’m an angry male. O.K., I’ve said it. There is a lot to be angry about. Gun violence continues. Too many of our children live in poverty. Our environment is deteriorating. We are heating the planet beyond its capacity to support human life. Our country is divided. The political system is broken. Families are falling...Continue reading
The Seven Things That Make A Man Feel Loved
There is a saying that we teach what we want to learn. I suspect it may be equally true that we write about issues most important in our lives. I grew up as an only child in a single parent-family. My father was gone by the time I was five years old. My mother had...Continue reading
Personal Connections Are Essential for Mental Health Recovery
Facing a condition such as bipolar disorder can be frightening. However, for one Yale Medicine patient, healing has happened through a range of personal connections. In his cooking classes, Bob Forlano likes to make dal, the Indian dish with red lentils, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and cumin. “And since I’m a steak-and-potatoes guy,” he says, “I...Continue reading
From Madness to Manhood: My Father Escapes from the Nuthouse
We were planning to celebrate my 13th birthday with a dinner at my special restaurant, The Pump Room, which served my favorite dessert, a strawberry short-cake with homemade whipped cream. But the celebration was interrupted with a phone call from my uncle, Harry. “Edith, Muni escaped from Camarillo today,” uncle Harry told her. I could hear his anxiety...Continue reading
Three Major Health Problems Men Often Don’t Look Out For
Men are well-known for not looking after themselves and their health. While women will typically go to the doctor when they notice signs that something might be wrong, many men are capable of putting things off for years with the result that minor health problems often turn into something much more serious and potentially life-threatening...Continue reading
How to Help an Angry Man: And Stop the Fights That Harm Your Marriage
I’ve been helping men and the women who love them for more than 40 years. When I ask men what’s most important to them in their relationships, I hear many variations on a simple response. Men want more sex and fewer fights. When I ask women what they want they also give offer variations that...Continue reading