Men's Mental Health Awareness Month at Eaglebrook

For centuries social constructs have dictated a set of standards and expectations for gender norms that have contributed to what can be perceived as toxic masculinity. Don’t show emotion, don’t cry, don’t ask for directions, I don’t need a doctor, I am fine, Man Up. These ideas do not define what it is to be a man, and yet they continue to influence young boys growing up in the world today. So then, what does it mean to be a man? 

Being a man is an inward possession. It is how you see and believe yourself to be. With that inward possession comes outward expression, or how you present what you are to the world. The outward expression is key in this idea, and is in no small part your character. Character is built on a set of virtues that work together to balance each other to make any person better. Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Diligence, Selflessness, Curiosity, Sincerity, and Patience are several virtues that work together to establish character.  To me, being a man is defined by my character and means standing up for the right thing and bettering the lives of everyone around me. 

To this point, I want to reference my Secondary School’s motto, Esse Quam Videri, which means “to be, rather than to seem”. I can be “a man” without succumbing to the pitfalls of what society may or may not portray a man to be. To do this, I  rely on the virtues of my character.  Being a man that I feel proud of—one that can be thoughtful, kind, vulnerable, caring, and secure—celebrates my masculinity and is how I strive to support changing the connotations of what society says manhood should be. 

 

The month of November is dedicated to Men’s health. In the United States, men live an average of six years less than women. Biological and genetic issues explain some of this health disparity. Yet men die at younger ages than women regardless of age, so this is not just an “old age” problem. More men die of cancer, diabetes, mental health crises, motor vehicle accidents, and COVID-19 than women. Perhaps one contributing factor to this reality is how those aforementioned societal constructs influence “how a man is supposed to act.” Men’s Health Month started in 1994 when Kansas Senator Bob Dole introduced a bill that was passed by Congress to bring awareness to early detection and treatment of health conditions in men.

 

Have any of you ever heard of Movember, when men around the world grow a mustache in November? The origins of this fashion fad are pretty incredible.

 

In 2003, two friends living in Australia discussed how the mustache had all but disappeared from fashion culture. They wanted to bring it back into style. Inspired by one of their mothers’ fundraising efforts for breast cancer, they strategized to make the campaign about men’s health, specifically prostate cancer. They gathered 30 friends to join them, created rules, and charged 10 dollars a person to participate in the challenge to grow a mustache in November. The proceeds would be donated to prostate cancer research. The idea was a success.

 

In 2004, the number grew to 480 participants. By 2005 they raised over 900 thousand dollars, and by 2006 the number exploded to over  8 million dollars. Over the years the organization has been involved with a myriad of men’s health issues beyond prostate cancer. In 2009 the organization obtained an official charity status and added a partnership with the  “Live Strong” Foundation. In 2013 they were awarded the “Social Force of the Year” award and recorded 21 participating countries involved in the fundraising. In 2016 they funded a three-part series airing in Australia called Man Up. The project tackled gender stereotypes, the pressures of manhood, and most importantly why so many men were driven to suicide. In 2017 they received a ranking of 49 out of 500 top non-governmental organizations around the world. In 2021 they created “Family Man” the world’s first online parenting program designed with dads in mind to improve their parenting confidence and knowledge.

 

What started as two friends joking about facial hair turned into a movement that is taking on all issues of men’s health from cancer to mental health. They have challenged society and the outdated misogynistic expectations of what it means to be a man. Today, around the world, men show their support for this initiative by growing a mustache in November to bring awareness to men’s health. Even if they do not specifically donate, the mustaches they grow spark conversations and awareness about men’s health.