Men's Health Week is June 10-16 across the country (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

MEN'S HEALTH WEEK

Men encouraged to be more aware of mental, physical health

Jun 12, 2019 | 5:31 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s Men’s Health Week across the country, a time for men to focus on their own well-being.

Mental health experts say men are not nearly as good at expressing themselves and their needs as women. It can lead to depression or worse.

Men’s Health Week comes at a time when many men in the Southern Interior are losing their jobs. The hundreds of mill workers who are being laid off are going through a difficult time.

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Interior Health social worker Dale Senger says it’s critical for these people, mostly men, to adapt.

“These older workers who are losing their jobs who have worked in the mill for 30 years, they may have that mindset that ‘I can’t do anything else’ or more rigid values that ‘I shouldn’t have to do anything else,'” noted Senger. “That’s going to cause some problems. The more flexible thinking, the more adaptable to change a person is, the better they’re going to respond to this.”

Senger says the laid-off workers need to talk openly about the real stress they’re experiencing.

“That person that’s going through these mill changes, for example, or any other real phase-of-life change, it’s important to recognize what they are feeling, talking to people about it — loved ones — access professional help if needed,” he said. “Hopefully with more and more dialogue going on about this, the negative stigma is decreasing.”

Without help through these times, people can suffer from depression and anger as they internally process the situation. It can also lead to increased drug and alcohol use to deal with their feelings.

For anyone going through a stressful time, experts say it’s important to get out, maybe go to the gym, to get a good sweat in.

“I believe a healthy body leads to a healthy mind,” said Robert Stainton, who works out at Acceleration in Kamloops. “I took self-defense for many years, and it brings peace when you’re [at the gym] and you work off some steam and are able to re-evaluate everything that’s going on in your life at the time.”

Dr. Chip Bantock says in addition to routine exercise, men should be seeing a doctor for regular check-ups, especially if they’re older.

“I would say the greatest things are obesity, overweight, weight gain, just poor lifestyle, cardiovascular risk is huge. Those are the main things,” said Dr. Bantock. “Diabetes because it’s associated with obesity.”

Dr. Bantock says men have improved in terms of seeking out care on their own, but there is still room to grow.

Meantime, Senger says anyone needing counselling can self-refer and call Kamloops Interior Health mental health at 250-377-6500 and ask to speak with an intake worker.