Men Jokes

Men jokes are invented by women, and it usually points out how shallow and dumb we are. What does it mean? Who cares? Just grab your beer, drink with your buddies, and think about it as their way of showing their concern for you through constructive criticism.



What do men and beer bottles have in common?
They're both empty from the neck up

What's a man's idea of helping with the housework?
Lifting his leg so you can vacuum

What do you call a man with half a brain?
Gifted !

What are two reasons men don't mind their own business?
1. No mind 2. No business

Why did God create man?
He needed to practice

Men Jokes

Men jokes are invented by women, and it usually points out how shallow and dumb we are. What does it mean? Who cares? Just grab your beer, drink with your buddies, and think about it as their way of showing their concern for you through constructive criticism.



What do men and beer bottles have in common?
They're both empty from the neck up

What's a man's idea of helping with the housework?
Lifting his leg so you can vacuum

What do you call a man with half a brain?
Gifted !

What are two reasons men don't mind their own business?
1. No mind 2. No business

Why did God create man?
He needed to practice

men's health -

5 Things You Didn't Know About Your Penis

Here are some things you might have wondered about your penis, but were afraid to ask.

No. 1: Your Penis Does Have a Mind of Its Own

You've probably noticed that your penis often does its own thing. You may remember times when it was completely inappropriate to have an erection; and yet you couldn't wish it away.
It's true that you have less command over your penis than body parts like your arms and legs. That's because the penis answers to a part of the nervous system that's not always under your conscious control. This is called the autonomic nervous system, which also regulates heart rate and blood pressure.
Sexual arousal usually isn't voluntary. The conscious mind is complicit in it, but a lot of sexual arousal goes on in the sympathetic nervous system. In addition, impulses from the brain during the REM phase of sleep cause erections, whether you're dreaming about sex or about a test you forgot to study for. Heavy lifting or straining to have a bowel movement can also produce an erection.
Just as the penis grows without your consent, sometimes it shrinks. "The flaccid penis varies in size considerably within a given man," says Drogo Montague, MD, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Exposure to cold water or air makes your penis shrink. That's a function of the sympathetic nervous system.
Psychological stress also involves the sympathetic nervous system, and stress has the same effect as a cold shower, Montague says. When you're relaxed and feeling well, your flaccid penis looks bigger than when you're stressed out.
The penis is "kind of a barometer of the sympathetic nervous system," Montague says. So the greeting, "How's it hanging?" is more apt than you might have realized.

No. 2: Your Penis May Be a 'Grower' or a 'Show-er'

Among men, there is no consistent relationship between the size of the flaccid penis and its full erect length.
In one study of 80 men, researchers found that increases from flaccid to erect lengths ranged widely, from less than a quarter inch to 3.5 inches longer.
Whatever the clinical significance of these data may be, the locker-room significance is considerable. You can't assume that a dude with a big limp penis gets much bigger with an erection. And the guy whose penis looks tiny could surprise you with a big erection.
An analysis of more than thousand measurements taken by sex researcher Alfred Kinsey shows that shorter flaccid penises tend to gain about twice as much length as longer flaccid penises.
A penis that doesn't gain much length with an erection has become known as a "show-er," and a penis that gains a lot is said to be a "grower." These are not medical terms, and there aren't scientifically established thresholds for what's a show-er or a grower.
Kinsey's data suggest that most penises aren't extreme show-ers or growers. About 12% of penises gained one-third or less of their total length with an erection, and about 7% doubled in length when erect.

No. 3: Your Penis Is Shaped Like a Boomerang

Your penis is shaped like a boomerang. Just like you don't see all of a big oak tree above ground, you don't see the root of your penis tucked up inside your pelvis and attached to your pubic bone.
In an MRI picture, the penis looks distinctly boomerang-like, as noted by a French researcher who studied men and women having sex inside an MRI scanner.
One method of surgical "penis enlargement" is to cut the ligament that holds the root of the penis up inside the pelvis. This operation may give some men a little extra length if more of the penis protrudes from the body, but there are side effects. This ligament, called the suspensory ligament, makes an erection sturdy. With that ligament cut, the erect penis loses its upward angle and it wobbles at the base. The lack of sturdiness can lead to injury.


No. 4: You Can Break Your Penis


There is no "penis bone," but you can break your penis all the same. It's called penile fracture, and it's not a subtle injury. When it happens, there's "an audible pop or snap," Montague says. Then the penis turns black and blue. And there's terrible pain.
Penile fracture is rare, and it typically happens to younger men because their erections tend to be quite rigid.
Here's how to avoid penile fracture: don't use your penis too roughly. A common way that penile fracture happens, Montague says, is when a man is thrusting too hard and fast during sex, and slams into his partner's pubic bone. Also, a woman who moves wildly while on top of a man during sex can break a man's penis.
Peyronie's syndrome is a related condition that tends to show up more in older men, Montague says. An older man's erection may not be as rigid, but still is hard enough for sex. Over time, if the penis bends too much a certain way during sex, small tears in the tissue can form scars, and the accumulated scar tissue gives the penis an abnormally curved shape.
Not all penis curvature is a problem, however.

No. 5: Most Penises in the World Are Uncut

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that worldwide only 30% of males aged 15 and up are circumcised.
Rates vary greatly depending upon religion and nationality. Almost all Jewish and Muslim males in the world have circumcised penises, and together they account for about 70% of all circumcised males globally.
The United States has the highest proportion of males circumcised for non-religious reasons. A whopping 75% of non-Jewish, non-Muslim American men are circumcised. Compare that to Canada, where only 30% are. In the U.K. it's 20%; in Australia it's merely 6%.
The practice of circumcising baby boys for medical and cosmetic reasons has become controversial in the U.S. But recently the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UUNAIDS recommended circumcision for adult men, based upon evidence that men with circumcised penises have a lower risk of being infected with HIV.
The CDC estimates that about 65% of all newborn boys get circumcised in the U.S

men's health -

5 Things You Didn't Know About Your Penis

Here are some things you might have wondered about your penis, but were afraid to ask.

No. 1: Your Penis Does Have a Mind of Its Own

You've probably noticed that your penis often does its own thing. You may remember times when it was completely inappropriate to have an erection; and yet you couldn't wish it away.
It's true that you have less command over your penis than body parts like your arms and legs. That's because the penis answers to a part of the nervous system that's not always under your conscious control. This is called the autonomic nervous system, which also regulates heart rate and blood pressure.
Sexual arousal usually isn't voluntary. The conscious mind is complicit in it, but a lot of sexual arousal goes on in the sympathetic nervous system. In addition, impulses from the brain during the REM phase of sleep cause erections, whether you're dreaming about sex or about a test you forgot to study for. Heavy lifting or straining to have a bowel movement can also produce an erection.
Just as the penis grows without your consent, sometimes it shrinks. "The flaccid penis varies in size considerably within a given man," says Drogo Montague, MD, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Exposure to cold water or air makes your penis shrink. That's a function of the sympathetic nervous system.
Psychological stress also involves the sympathetic nervous system, and stress has the same effect as a cold shower, Montague says. When you're relaxed and feeling well, your flaccid penis looks bigger than when you're stressed out.
The penis is "kind of a barometer of the sympathetic nervous system," Montague says. So the greeting, "How's it hanging?" is more apt than you might have realized.

No. 2: Your Penis May Be a 'Grower' or a 'Show-er'

Among men, there is no consistent relationship between the size of the flaccid penis and its full erect length.
In one study of 80 men, researchers found that increases from flaccid to erect lengths ranged widely, from less than a quarter inch to 3.5 inches longer.
Whatever the clinical significance of these data may be, the locker-room significance is considerable. You can't assume that a dude with a big limp penis gets much bigger with an erection. And the guy whose penis looks tiny could surprise you with a big erection.
An analysis of more than thousand measurements taken by sex researcher Alfred Kinsey shows that shorter flaccid penises tend to gain about twice as much length as longer flaccid penises.
A penis that doesn't gain much length with an erection has become known as a "show-er," and a penis that gains a lot is said to be a "grower." These are not medical terms, and there aren't scientifically established thresholds for what's a show-er or a grower.
Kinsey's data suggest that most penises aren't extreme show-ers or growers. About 12% of penises gained one-third or less of their total length with an erection, and about 7% doubled in length when erect.

No. 3: Your Penis Is Shaped Like a Boomerang

Your penis is shaped like a boomerang. Just like you don't see all of a big oak tree above ground, you don't see the root of your penis tucked up inside your pelvis and attached to your pubic bone.
In an MRI picture, the penis looks distinctly boomerang-like, as noted by a French researcher who studied men and women having sex inside an MRI scanner.
One method of surgical "penis enlargement" is to cut the ligament that holds the root of the penis up inside the pelvis. This operation may give some men a little extra length if more of the penis protrudes from the body, but there are side effects. This ligament, called the suspensory ligament, makes an erection sturdy. With that ligament cut, the erect penis loses its upward angle and it wobbles at the base. The lack of sturdiness can lead to injury.


No. 4: You Can Break Your Penis


There is no "penis bone," but you can break your penis all the same. It's called penile fracture, and it's not a subtle injury. When it happens, there's "an audible pop or snap," Montague says. Then the penis turns black and blue. And there's terrible pain.
Penile fracture is rare, and it typically happens to younger men because their erections tend to be quite rigid.
Here's how to avoid penile fracture: don't use your penis too roughly. A common way that penile fracture happens, Montague says, is when a man is thrusting too hard and fast during sex, and slams into his partner's pubic bone. Also, a woman who moves wildly while on top of a man during sex can break a man's penis.
Peyronie's syndrome is a related condition that tends to show up more in older men, Montague says. An older man's erection may not be as rigid, but still is hard enough for sex. Over time, if the penis bends too much a certain way during sex, small tears in the tissue can form scars, and the accumulated scar tissue gives the penis an abnormally curved shape.
Not all penis curvature is a problem, however.

No. 5: Most Penises in the World Are Uncut

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that worldwide only 30% of males aged 15 and up are circumcised.
Rates vary greatly depending upon religion and nationality. Almost all Jewish and Muslim males in the world have circumcised penises, and together they account for about 70% of all circumcised males globally.
The United States has the highest proportion of males circumcised for non-religious reasons. A whopping 75% of non-Jewish, non-Muslim American men are circumcised. Compare that to Canada, where only 30% are. In the U.K. it's 20%; in Australia it's merely 6%.
The practice of circumcising baby boys for medical and cosmetic reasons has become controversial in the U.S. But recently the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UUNAIDS recommended circumcision for adult men, based upon evidence that men with circumcised penises have a lower risk of being infected with HIV.
The CDC estimates that about 65% of all newborn boys get circumcised in the U.S

men's health -

5 Things You Didn't Know About Your Penis

Here are some things you might have wondered about your penis, but were afraid to ask.

No. 1: Your Penis Does Have a Mind of Its Own

You've probably noticed that your penis often does its own thing. You may remember times when it was completely inappropriate to have an erection; and yet you couldn't wish it away.
It's true that you have less command over your penis than body parts like your arms and legs. That's because the penis answers to a part of the nervous system that's not always under your conscious control. This is called the autonomic nervous system, which also regulates heart rate and blood pressure.
Sexual arousal usually isn't voluntary. The conscious mind is complicit in it, but a lot of sexual arousal goes on in the sympathetic nervous system. In addition, impulses from the brain during the REM phase of sleep cause erections, whether you're dreaming about sex or about a test you forgot to study for. Heavy lifting or straining to have a bowel movement can also produce an erection.
Just as the penis grows without your consent, sometimes it shrinks. "The flaccid penis varies in size considerably within a given man," says Drogo Montague, MD, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Exposure to cold water or air makes your penis shrink. That's a function of the sympathetic nervous system.
Psychological stress also involves the sympathetic nervous system, and stress has the same effect as a cold shower, Montague says. When you're relaxed and feeling well, your flaccid penis looks bigger than when you're stressed out.
The penis is "kind of a barometer of the sympathetic nervous system," Montague says. So the greeting, "How's it hanging?" is more apt than you might have realized.

No. 2: Your Penis May Be a 'Grower' or a 'Show-er'

Among men, there is no consistent relationship between the size of the flaccid penis and its full erect length.
In one study of 80 men, researchers found that increases from flaccid to erect lengths ranged widely, from less than a quarter inch to 3.5 inches longer.
Whatever the clinical significance of these data may be, the locker-room significance is considerable. You can't assume that a dude with a big limp penis gets much bigger with an erection. And the guy whose penis looks tiny could surprise you with a big erection.
An analysis of more than thousand measurements taken by sex researcher Alfred Kinsey shows that shorter flaccid penises tend to gain about twice as much length as longer flaccid penises.
A penis that doesn't gain much length with an erection has become known as a "show-er," and a penis that gains a lot is said to be a "grower." These are not medical terms, and there aren't scientifically established thresholds for what's a show-er or a grower.
Kinsey's data suggest that most penises aren't extreme show-ers or growers. About 12% of penises gained one-third or less of their total length with an erection, and about 7% doubled in length when erect.

No. 3: Your Penis Is Shaped Like a Boomerang

Your penis is shaped like a boomerang. Just like you don't see all of a big oak tree above ground, you don't see the root of your penis tucked up inside your pelvis and attached to your pubic bone.
In an MRI picture, the penis looks distinctly boomerang-like, as noted by a French researcher who studied men and women having sex inside an MRI scanner.
One method of surgical "penis enlargement" is to cut the ligament that holds the root of the penis up inside the pelvis. This operation may give some men a little extra length if more of the penis protrudes from the body, but there are side effects. This ligament, called the suspensory ligament, makes an erection sturdy. With that ligament cut, the erect penis loses its upward angle and it wobbles at the base. The lack of sturdiness can lead to injury.


No. 4: You Can Break Your Penis


There is no "penis bone," but you can break your penis all the same. It's called penile fracture, and it's not a subtle injury. When it happens, there's "an audible pop or snap," Montague says. Then the penis turns black and blue. And there's terrible pain.
Penile fracture is rare, and it typically happens to younger men because their erections tend to be quite rigid.
Here's how to avoid penile fracture: don't use your penis too roughly. A common way that penile fracture happens, Montague says, is when a man is thrusting too hard and fast during sex, and slams into his partner's pubic bone. Also, a woman who moves wildly while on top of a man during sex can break a man's penis.
Peyronie's syndrome is a related condition that tends to show up more in older men, Montague says. An older man's erection may not be as rigid, but still is hard enough for sex. Over time, if the penis bends too much a certain way during sex, small tears in the tissue can form scars, and the accumulated scar tissue gives the penis an abnormally curved shape.
Not all penis curvature is a problem, however.

No. 5: Most Penises in the World Are Uncut

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that worldwide only 30% of males aged 15 and up are circumcised.
Rates vary greatly depending upon religion and nationality. Almost all Jewish and Muslim males in the world have circumcised penises, and together they account for about 70% of all circumcised males globally.
The United States has the highest proportion of males circumcised for non-religious reasons. A whopping 75% of non-Jewish, non-Muslim American men are circumcised. Compare that to Canada, where only 30% are. In the U.K. it's 20%; in Australia it's merely 6%.
The practice of circumcising baby boys for medical and cosmetic reasons has become controversial in the U.S. But recently the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UUNAIDS recommended circumcision for adult men, based upon evidence that men with circumcised penises have a lower risk of being infected with HIV.
The CDC estimates that about 65% of all newborn boys get circumcised in the U.S

Men's Mental Illness: A Silent Crisis

It's being called a silent crisis, a sleeper issue. But there are signs that this sleeper is at last awakening. Around the world studies, surveys, web networks, journals and newspaper articles are shedding light on a shadowy subject: men's mental health.
Among the findings is the revelation that new fathers are also vulnerable to postpartum depression. In Canada, young and middle-aged men are being hospitalized for schizophrenia in increasing numbers. The gender gap among people with mental illness is much narrower than might be suspected. The StatsCan Canadian Community Health Survey on Mental health and well-being found that 10% of men experienced symptoms of the surveyed mental health disorders and substance dependencies, compared to 11% of women. In the United Kingdom, studies of depression show a major shift in the traditional gender imbalance, with depression rising among men and decreasing among women.
The greatest evidence of male vulnerability is in suicide statistics. Among Canadians of all ages, four of every five suicides are male. In the UK, men are around three times more likely to kill themselves than women. In New South Wales, Australia, suicide has overtaken car accidents as the leading cause of death in males since 1991.
Barriers to seeking help
According to the Toronto Men's Health Network (TMHN), even the concept of "men's health" is relatively new in Canada. Dr. Don McCreary, co-chair of TMHN, associate editor of the International Journal of Men's Health and one of a small handful of men's health researchers in Canada, says there are a number of reasons for this.
One reason is the low priority given to men's health issues in the research community. More funding and more specialists in this area will encourage ongoing research into male mental health.
Male and societal attitudes have fostered the silence. "The women's health movement was very self-directed," says Dr. McCreary. "Women banded together to work on problems with health delivery. Men don't want to do that. We have inculcated a culture in our society that men have to be tough, men have to be strong. Our society is very good at punishing gender deviation in men. Weakness is not considered to be masculine."
The "code" governing men's behaviour is one of the prime barriers preventing men from seeking help. According to UK-based MaleHealth.com, men may feel it's "weak and unmanly to admit to feelings of despair." Because it's easier for men to acknowledge physical symptoms, rather than emotional ones, their mental health problems can go undiagnosed.
Beliefs about masculinity also encourage men's general lack of interest in health issues; many men simply don't believe they are susceptible to depression, so why bother learning about it? Similarly, risky behaviour, seen especially in younger men - including abuse of alcohol and/or drugs and violence - can mask their emotional problems, both from themselves and their physicians.
Western society's view of the value of men is seen as an important factor affecting men's mental health. An Australian study suggested that "there is a strong element of negativity in our culture about men which cannot contribute to positive mental health...".
Greater recognition of the significance of men's roles as fathers and partners would help men cope with the difficult feelings that accompany a breakup and the loss of full access to their children. The social isolation experienced by many men at such a time is believed to a factor in the high rate of suicide amongst divorced men.
Men and depression
What do a firefighter, police officer, US Air Force First Sergeant, college graduate and publisher have in common? They are all male and they have all suffered from serious depression. They told their stories for the National Institute for Mental Health "Real Men. Real Depression." campaign.
It's estimated that up to 6 million American men have depression each year - about half the figure for women. But this gender disparity is being questioned, in the US and elsewhere. In focus groups conducted by the NIMH, "men described their own symptoms of depression without realizing they were depressed." They made no connection between their mental health and physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive problems and chronic pain.
Dr. Michael Myers has noted the same thing, saying, "I couldn't do my job as a psychiatrist if I didn't listen to women describe their concerns about men." A psychiatrist and clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Myers says, "In men, mental illness can be masked. We've known for decades that women are more apt to recognize illness of any sort and go to their doctor. This doesn't mean women are healthier, but that some men just repress it. We believe a lot of somatization [symptoms] in men, for example, migraines, back pain, irritable bowel syndrome, is rooted in depression."
The consequences of masked depression can be devastating. "Too many men out there are suffering," says Dr. Myers. "They're acting out the depression." Acting may take the form of hostility and irritability; verbal violence and abusiveness; drinking to excess; or womanizing. Canadians can obtain more information about depression by contacting your local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association or visiting the following website to find a crisis line in your area.
"In cases of marital breakup, there is a very important link between the man's mental health and how the divorce goes," continues Dr. Myers, who is the director of the Marital Therapy Clinic at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. He says that when children are involved, and an ongoing relationship is maintained, the father better adapts to his changed circumstances. "If there's a complete severing, then men can become suicidal."
Along with genetics and stress, MaleHealth.com points out that social and psychological factors can contribute to men's depression. Men's focus on competition and feeling powerful can be adversely affected by unemployment and the presence of women in the workplace. Physical illness, in particular a life-threatening condition, is another trigger for depression, since it directly impacts a man's sense of strength and status.
Moving forward
Raising awareness about men and their vulnerability to depression is a rising trend and "may help in terms of reducing the stigma attached to mental health," says Dr. McCreary.
Some focused steps are being tested. A study in Australia reports that a men-only prompt list for physicians and patients, designed to overcome male reticence and low mental health literacy, assisted 60% of male patients in raising issues with their doctor.
National men's health organizations in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe are growing focal points for men's health research. The acknowledged lack of data on male health is leading to calls for a needs-driven rather than a gender-based approach to health care.
Promotional campaigns, web sites, journals and networking groups targeting men and their mental health awareness are breaking the silence that has long surrounded this topic. But there is a long way to go before the depth and breadth of knowledge about men's mental health issues approaches that relating to women.

Men's Mental Illness: A Silent Crisis

It's being called a silent crisis, a sleeper issue. But there are signs that this sleeper is at last awakening. Around the world studies, surveys, web networks, journals and newspaper articles are shedding light on a shadowy subject: men's mental health.
Among the findings is the revelation that new fathers are also vulnerable to postpartum depression. In Canada, young and middle-aged men are being hospitalized for schizophrenia in increasing numbers. The gender gap among people with mental illness is much narrower than might be suspected. The StatsCan Canadian Community Health Survey on Mental health and well-being found that 10% of men experienced symptoms of the surveyed mental health disorders and substance dependencies, compared to 11% of women. In the United Kingdom, studies of depression show a major shift in the traditional gender imbalance, with depression rising among men and decreasing among women.
The greatest evidence of male vulnerability is in suicide statistics. Among Canadians of all ages, four of every five suicides are male. In the UK, men are around three times more likely to kill themselves than women. In New South Wales, Australia, suicide has overtaken car accidents as the leading cause of death in males since 1991.
Barriers to seeking help
According to the Toronto Men's Health Network (TMHN), even the concept of "men's health" is relatively new in Canada. Dr. Don McCreary, co-chair of TMHN, associate editor of the International Journal of Men's Health and one of a small handful of men's health researchers in Canada, says there are a number of reasons for this.
One reason is the low priority given to men's health issues in the research community. More funding and more specialists in this area will encourage ongoing research into male mental health.
Male and societal attitudes have fostered the silence. "The women's health movement was very self-directed," says Dr. McCreary. "Women banded together to work on problems with health delivery. Men don't want to do that. We have inculcated a culture in our society that men have to be tough, men have to be strong. Our society is very good at punishing gender deviation in men. Weakness is not considered to be masculine."
The "code" governing men's behaviour is one of the prime barriers preventing men from seeking help. According to UK-based MaleHealth.com, men may feel it's "weak and unmanly to admit to feelings of despair." Because it's easier for men to acknowledge physical symptoms, rather than emotional ones, their mental health problems can go undiagnosed.
Beliefs about masculinity also encourage men's general lack of interest in health issues; many men simply don't believe they are susceptible to depression, so why bother learning about it? Similarly, risky behaviour, seen especially in younger men - including abuse of alcohol and/or drugs and violence - can mask their emotional problems, both from themselves and their physicians.
Western society's view of the value of men is seen as an important factor affecting men's mental health. An Australian study suggested that "there is a strong element of negativity in our culture about men which cannot contribute to positive mental health...".
Greater recognition of the significance of men's roles as fathers and partners would help men cope with the difficult feelings that accompany a breakup and the loss of full access to their children. The social isolation experienced by many men at such a time is believed to a factor in the high rate of suicide amongst divorced men.
Men and depression
What do a firefighter, police officer, US Air Force First Sergeant, college graduate and publisher have in common? They are all male and they have all suffered from serious depression. They told their stories for the National Institute for Mental Health "Real Men. Real Depression." campaign.
It's estimated that up to 6 million American men have depression each year - about half the figure for women. But this gender disparity is being questioned, in the US and elsewhere. In focus groups conducted by the NIMH, "men described their own symptoms of depression without realizing they were depressed." They made no connection between their mental health and physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive problems and chronic pain.
Dr. Michael Myers has noted the same thing, saying, "I couldn't do my job as a psychiatrist if I didn't listen to women describe their concerns about men." A psychiatrist and clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Myers says, "In men, mental illness can be masked. We've known for decades that women are more apt to recognize illness of any sort and go to their doctor. This doesn't mean women are healthier, but that some men just repress it. We believe a lot of somatization [symptoms] in men, for example, migraines, back pain, irritable bowel syndrome, is rooted in depression."
The consequences of masked depression can be devastating. "Too many men out there are suffering," says Dr. Myers. "They're acting out the depression." Acting may take the form of hostility and irritability; verbal violence and abusiveness; drinking to excess; or womanizing. Canadians can obtain more information about depression by contacting your local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association or visiting the following website to find a crisis line in your area.
"In cases of marital breakup, there is a very important link between the man's mental health and how the divorce goes," continues Dr. Myers, who is the director of the Marital Therapy Clinic at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. He says that when children are involved, and an ongoing relationship is maintained, the father better adapts to his changed circumstances. "If there's a complete severing, then men can become suicidal."
Along with genetics and stress, MaleHealth.com points out that social and psychological factors can contribute to men's depression. Men's focus on competition and feeling powerful can be adversely affected by unemployment and the presence of women in the workplace. Physical illness, in particular a life-threatening condition, is another trigger for depression, since it directly impacts a man's sense of strength and status.
Moving forward
Raising awareness about men and their vulnerability to depression is a rising trend and "may help in terms of reducing the stigma attached to mental health," says Dr. McCreary.
Some focused steps are being tested. A study in Australia reports that a men-only prompt list for physicians and patients, designed to overcome male reticence and low mental health literacy, assisted 60% of male patients in raising issues with their doctor.
National men's health organizations in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe are growing focal points for men's health research. The acknowledged lack of data on male health is leading to calls for a needs-driven rather than a gender-based approach to health care.
Promotional campaigns, web sites, journals and networking groups targeting men and their mental health awareness are breaking the silence that has long surrounded this topic. But there is a long way to go before the depth and breadth of knowledge about men's mental health issues approaches that relating to women.

Men's Mental Illness: A Silent Crisis

It's being called a silent crisis, a sleeper issue. But there are signs that this sleeper is at last awakening. Around the world studies, surveys, web networks, journals and newspaper articles are shedding light on a shadowy subject: men's mental health.
Among the findings is the revelation that new fathers are also vulnerable to postpartum depression. In Canada, young and middle-aged men are being hospitalized for schizophrenia in increasing numbers. The gender gap among people with mental illness is much narrower than might be suspected. The StatsCan Canadian Community Health Survey on Mental health and well-being found that 10% of men experienced symptoms of the surveyed mental health disorders and substance dependencies, compared to 11% of women. In the United Kingdom, studies of depression show a major shift in the traditional gender imbalance, with depression rising among men and decreasing among women.
The greatest evidence of male vulnerability is in suicide statistics. Among Canadians of all ages, four of every five suicides are male. In the UK, men are around three times more likely to kill themselves than women. In New South Wales, Australia, suicide has overtaken car accidents as the leading cause of death in males since 1991.
Barriers to seeking help
According to the Toronto Men's Health Network (TMHN), even the concept of "men's health" is relatively new in Canada. Dr. Don McCreary, co-chair of TMHN, associate editor of the International Journal of Men's Health and one of a small handful of men's health researchers in Canada, says there are a number of reasons for this.
One reason is the low priority given to men's health issues in the research community. More funding and more specialists in this area will encourage ongoing research into male mental health.
Male and societal attitudes have fostered the silence. "The women's health movement was very self-directed," says Dr. McCreary. "Women banded together to work on problems with health delivery. Men don't want to do that. We have inculcated a culture in our society that men have to be tough, men have to be strong. Our society is very good at punishing gender deviation in men. Weakness is not considered to be masculine."
The "code" governing men's behaviour is one of the prime barriers preventing men from seeking help. According to UK-based MaleHealth.com, men may feel it's "weak and unmanly to admit to feelings of despair." Because it's easier for men to acknowledge physical symptoms, rather than emotional ones, their mental health problems can go undiagnosed.
Beliefs about masculinity also encourage men's general lack of interest in health issues; many men simply don't believe they are susceptible to depression, so why bother learning about it? Similarly, risky behaviour, seen especially in younger men - including abuse of alcohol and/or drugs and violence - can mask their emotional problems, both from themselves and their physicians.
Western society's view of the value of men is seen as an important factor affecting men's mental health. An Australian study suggested that "there is a strong element of negativity in our culture about men which cannot contribute to positive mental health...".
Greater recognition of the significance of men's roles as fathers and partners would help men cope with the difficult feelings that accompany a breakup and the loss of full access to their children. The social isolation experienced by many men at such a time is believed to a factor in the high rate of suicide amongst divorced men.
Men and depression
What do a firefighter, police officer, US Air Force First Sergeant, college graduate and publisher have in common? They are all male and they have all suffered from serious depression. They told their stories for the National Institute for Mental Health "Real Men. Real Depression." campaign.
It's estimated that up to 6 million American men have depression each year - about half the figure for women. But this gender disparity is being questioned, in the US and elsewhere. In focus groups conducted by the NIMH, "men described their own symptoms of depression without realizing they were depressed." They made no connection between their mental health and physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive problems and chronic pain.
Dr. Michael Myers has noted the same thing, saying, "I couldn't do my job as a psychiatrist if I didn't listen to women describe their concerns about men." A psychiatrist and clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Myers says, "In men, mental illness can be masked. We've known for decades that women are more apt to recognize illness of any sort and go to their doctor. This doesn't mean women are healthier, but that some men just repress it. We believe a lot of somatization [symptoms] in men, for example, migraines, back pain, irritable bowel syndrome, is rooted in depression."
The consequences of masked depression can be devastating. "Too many men out there are suffering," says Dr. Myers. "They're acting out the depression." Acting may take the form of hostility and irritability; verbal violence and abusiveness; drinking to excess; or womanizing. Canadians can obtain more information about depression by contacting your local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association or visiting the following website to find a crisis line in your area.
"In cases of marital breakup, there is a very important link between the man's mental health and how the divorce goes," continues Dr. Myers, who is the director of the Marital Therapy Clinic at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. He says that when children are involved, and an ongoing relationship is maintained, the father better adapts to his changed circumstances. "If there's a complete severing, then men can become suicidal."
Along with genetics and stress, MaleHealth.com points out that social and psychological factors can contribute to men's depression. Men's focus on competition and feeling powerful can be adversely affected by unemployment and the presence of women in the workplace. Physical illness, in particular a life-threatening condition, is another trigger for depression, since it directly impacts a man's sense of strength and status.
Moving forward
Raising awareness about men and their vulnerability to depression is a rising trend and "may help in terms of reducing the stigma attached to mental health," says Dr. McCreary.
Some focused steps are being tested. A study in Australia reports that a men-only prompt list for physicians and patients, designed to overcome male reticence and low mental health literacy, assisted 60% of male patients in raising issues with their doctor.
National men's health organizations in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe are growing focal points for men's health research. The acknowledged lack of data on male health is leading to calls for a needs-driven rather than a gender-based approach to health care.
Promotional campaigns, web sites, journals and networking groups targeting men and their mental health awareness are breaking the silence that has long surrounded this topic. But there is a long way to go before the depth and breadth of knowledge about men's mental health issues approaches that relating to women.