“What is it like? A mental toothache, plain and simple.”
As we wrap up June which is Mens Mental Health Month, I wanted to share a few stories from a post that I wrote a few months ago. It was titled “Go Talk To Someone,” and was aimed at men who feel that they are at the end of the road and no hope in sight.
In the post, I put my email address and said reach out to me if you need to talk and I will get back with you immediately. I had fifteen men who emailed me that just wanted talk. I was hoping for at least one to reach out to me and when I saw the emails come through, I was elated. Not because they are battling demons but that they reached out to fight and not give up.
All of these are anonymous but I asked if I could share part of their story in hopes of someone reading it who is going through hell and realize it is okay to talk. Some have lost jobs that they had been at for a long time and they felt hopeless. A few were overwhelmed with their current jobs and life and felt as if they had no where to turn. The common denominator is that they were all over 40. You know, the age where society tells us that we should be well entrenched in our jobs, lives and everything else.
Yet many are crumbling because they don’t see anyway out. That crushes me to write that. Crushes me. Yet, I stay optimistic because of the fifteen who reached out to me and didn’t have to. None that reached out are personal friends of mine but they are now.
I wrote another story to follow up and that was called, “Now We Walk Together.” Basically, once you reach out to me, or anyone, we start our walk together to get help. The hardest part is that first step and once you take it the healing begins. As I wrote earlier, my mother passed away twelve years ago and I am now seeing someone over it. Grief knows no bounds or time.
“A mental toothache, plain and simple.” When my friend told me that, I couldn’t stop thinking about how perfectly that was put. What do we do when we have a toothache? We go see a dentist. A mental toothache, you find someone to talk to and get professional help. Thankfully, I was able to get many of these men into meet a therapist and that is where there journey began. I couldn’t care less about a pat on the back, I am just grateful a family didn’t have to make funeral arrangements.
June may be Mens Mental Health Month but in reality, every single day is. For men and women. Please reach out to someone and talk if you need to, please. If you know a friend that is struggling and they don’t feel like themselves and you know it, say something. My mother told me a long time ago, “Your stomach is always correct.” You know when a friend is not all there. Step in and be that mental dentist. You will be so thankful you did.
Again, here is my email address. BigJoeOnTheGo@gmail.com. I am not a counselor. I am not a therapist. I am just here for you. Email and let’s walk together. Matthew 11:28 if you need to read how God loves you.
