Published: June 7, 2024 / 3:21 PM PDT
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KKTV 11 News spoke with Porch Light Health’s Steve Carleton about men’s mental health for June’s Men’s Health Month.
Lauren Watson
I want to thank you for joining us in the 11 Breaking News Center this afternoon. I’m Lauren Watson, your digital anchor here at KKTV 11 News. And I’m here today with Steve Carlton. He’s the Clinical Director of Porch Light Health and Front Range Clinic. And we’re here today to talk a little bit about Men’s Health Month. Now, Steve, why is it so important to address this?
Steve Carleton
Well, there’s a few reasons. So with men’s health and men’s mental health in particular, which is what we’re going to talk about today, there’s a few things we see in men that’s different when you look at men versus women, right? And it’s not greatness, right? So one of the main headlines is, men are more likely to die by suicide. Men are more likely to suffer from things like substance use disorder, and they’re much less likely to seek treatment for things like depression, right? And so there’s still in our cultures a lot of stigma and a lot of male culture that makes it difficult for them to reach out for help and to talk about what’s going on in their lives. So that’s what we’re talking about and here to talk about today.
Lauren Watson
Yeah, and on that point, some symptoms of mental health issues can manifest differently in boys and men than people might think. What does that look like? And can you explain it a little bit?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, absolutely. So when we look at depression in particular, we know there’s about six million men in the US struggle with depression, and it does look different for men, right? Most often, it comes out in irritability and anger, right? So anger and irritability, it’s a really common sign of depression, especially if that is a mood change that’s been recent. Prior to that, there really wasn’t much irritability or anger, and now there is. Another big warning sign is all of a sudden not doing or not enjoying those activities you used to enjoy. If you used to enjoy golfing, you used to enjoy fly fishing or spending time with your family, cooking dinner with them, and all of a sudden, those are all like a chore. They’re all feeling you’re feeling a weight with doing them that you didn’t feel before. That can also be a sign of depression. And then just physiological, like feeling low energy, right? Having trouble with sleep. These types of things are all indicative of depression.
Lauren Watson
Why is it so important to talk about this early?
Steve Carleton
Well, the solution to depression, right? And the way out of it is, and always will start with talking about it, opening up, acknowledging there’s a problem. So in therapy, more often than not, the skills that you’ll be working on, if you go that route, is is mindfulness, increasing awareness. There’s four things that we can increase our awareness of. Our five senses, smell, taste, touch, sound, our thoughts, what thoughts are going through our head, our emotions, what labeling and understanding what are the feelings that we’re experiencing? And then lastly, what are the physiological symptoms? So really starting with those four things, and just bringing a non-judgmental observation of them, is a great place to start.
Lauren Watson
You know, a lot of times, people struggle with talking about things like this, and if they don’t want to talk about it, what can we do to help?
Steve Carleton
Well, I think it is a struggle to talk about it, and I think the message I would send to people is, it’s that 10,000 pound phone, right? If you’ve ever had a message that was on your phone that you’ve been ignoring boring for days, and then it turns into a week, and then before you know it, it’s two weeks, and you need to call that person back. It just gets harder and harder to make that call. So what people really need to think about is just ripping that bandaid off, and opening up, and Telling somebody that you’re struggling. That’s where it starts. Once you give voice to it, it gets easier to continue to give voice to it. Avoidance of these types of things is a really natural, normal human response these types of things. And anytime you can push back on that and open up, talk about it, acknowledge it’s happening, that’s going to be a win, and that’s going to be a step in the right direction. And with depression in particular, there is such a physiological state to it. So I don’t want to minimize that. If people are really profoundly depressed, that is an incredibly difficult journey, right?
Steve Carleton
It is very difficult to overcome that and to engage in life in a meaningful way. And finding a therapist, finding support, talking to family, friends, great places to start.
Lauren Watson
Now, if someone is looking for help with these issues, where can they find that?
Steve Carleton
So I think the other notable thing, what we do at Porch light Health is we treat substance use disorders. So oftentimes, when men, in particular, experience mental health issues, they turn to alcohol or other drugs to medicate that. Then the substance use becomes the symptom of this underlying mental health issue. But seeking out help at Porch light Health, it has manifested into a substance use disorder is a great first step. If it is a mental health condition, then that’s primary. I think starting with your primary care physician is a great place to start. If you’re thinking about taking your life, if you’re thinking about suicide, there’s other great resources. 988 is a good first step, but if you’re experiencing thoughts of suicide or ending your life like that, that’s really critical that you tell somebody that. If you’re a family member of somebody and you’re worried about them, it’s really important that you ask the open question, Are you thinking about killing yourself? Are you thinking about suicide? If people are making statements that make you worried about that, ask the question.
Lauren Watson
Steve, a very important, very heavy topic we’ve discussed here today. Is there anything we haven’t touched on yet that you think is very important for our viewers to know, or that you wanted to leave our viewers with this afternoon?
Steve Carleton
No, I think the opposite of addiction and mental health is connection, right? And There is help available out there if you seek it out. And I think that’s what I’ll leave people with. You’re not alone. Again, 6 million men in the country suffer from depression, upwards of 10 to 15 struggle with substance use disorder. These are really common problems, and if you seek help and you get connection, there’s really great tools and resources and skills out there that can be helpful.
Lauren Watson
Steve, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me this afternoon and to share this information with our viewers.
Steve Carleton
Yeah, my pleasure. Thank you.
