Back in 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required that a particular class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) carry a “black box” warning that for children and teens, side effects may include an increased risk of suicidal thoughts. Sounds perfectly reasonable, doesn’t it? But then, along comes the Law of...Continue reading
Category: Suicide
My Father’s Stay at God’s Hotel: A Slow-Medicine Approach to Healing Mental Illness
It’s been a long journey to come to peace with my father’s life and how it has impacted my own. I was born on December 21, 1943 in New York City. My parents had tried to conceive for many years, but had been unsuccessful. They finally were successful when my father was 37 and my...Continue reading
Pay More Attention to Young Men’s Mental Health
A recent report on the mental health of young men (ages 16-25) in Australia, is attracting a lot of attention from mental health professionals, parents, politicians, teachers, and, of course, the guys. One of the study’s key discoveries was that a fifth of young men say that life isn’t worth living and one in 10...Continue reading
The Secret to a Longer Life? Follow Directions
It seems that there’s a new study out every day proving that eating certain foods (like more veggies and less meat) or doing certain things (like getting enough exercise and sleep) can improve and/or extend your life. Reading—and thinking—are a good first step. But they’re not much unless you actually do something to make some...Continue reading
Placing American Indian and Alaska Native Boys and Men’s Health Disparities on the Map
A group of stakeholders dedicated to raising awareness on health disparities among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) males has collaborated with Men’s Health Network (MHN) and the Office of Minority Health to develop a brief report titled A Vision of Wellness and Health Equity for AI/AN Boys and Men. Among American Indians and Alaska...Continue reading
PTSD: Affects Vets’ Spouses Too
According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), about 25 percent of vets returning from the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are suffering from PTSD. That’s about 500,000 veterans. If we include family members, that number more than doubles. Not surprisingly, returning veterans—particularly those with PTSD—have a higher divorce rate than non-veterans. And...Continue reading
Men and Suicide: Much More Than a Mental-Health Issue
Anyone who’s ever looked at suicide statistics knows that men are 3-4 times more likely to kill themselves than women are (women, however, attempt suicide more). But what a lot of people don’t realize is that men in lower socio-economic groups—especially men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s—are significantly more likely to commit suicide than...Continue reading
Probiotics: what they are and why you need more of them
I recently had the opportunity to have a virtual cup of coffee and chat with Dr. Shekhar Challa, board certified gastroenterologist, and a huge advocate for probiotics. Here’s what the good Dr. has to say about why you should be using them, and how they can benefit your health. Samantha Feuss: Dr Challa, can you...Continue reading
The Business Case for Paying Attention to Men’s Health
Most people know that men live shorter (by five years), less-healthy lives than women. They’re more likely to be the victim of a violent crime, die in a car crash, commit suicide, and be injured at work. Men also have higher death rates from nine of the top ten killers, are more likely to be...Continue reading
Reality and Real Men: Opening up About Men’s Mental Health Issues
Depression and anxiety have been diagnosed at unprecedented levels in this country for years, and seem to only rise in concordance with the pace and demands of our time. Further, in an America that today is so identified with stress and success, not to mention the heightened burdens of economic struggle, we often ignore our...Continue reading