Comment

Comment by Paul Murphy on August 30, 2010 at 9:20pm

26 2010-08-26
Men and Mental Health

Despite having countless mental health resources and tools, men continue to face societal messages that frame mental health, as a weakness. Often it is described as a form of defectiveness. The media messages about mental health continue to frame the issue as marginalizing the recipient. Rarely will a male actively seek out for issues like: Alcoholism, Anger Management, Sexual Abuse, Drug Addiction, Violence and Eating Disorders. Men continue to be raised in our culture to be tough and manly. Attending or asking for help is foreign to most men, and continues to be a major stumbling block toward functional mental health. These barriers often times stop people from making that phone call and supporting people to a much more functional coping mechanism.
Hindrances and barriers can often are often found within bureaucratic systems .The W.S.I.B. comes to mind ,in that they appear to be lacking the tools to address mental health issues in a consistent, supportive manner to deal with injured workers. I suggest there is a disconnect that needs to be changed, challenged and improved. I ,myself have had to find tools and resources that build skills to address burn out in the work place, and address long term exposure to violence. I, like many other workers looked at burnout as a form of defectiveness. This attitude was supported and role modelled by my employer. We simply were not provided the training to deal with mental health, our own mental health. I was the talk of the agency for a
period of time, and no services, no supports were ever provided. I was left to flounder on my own.

In Thunder Bay we have countless services and supports that address mental health. This includes group counselling, individual counselling and a host of clinical resources. These initiatives often require a referral by a physician. They include: Thunder Bay Sexual Assault Center, Smith Clinic, Shared Care, St. Josephs Care Group and Canadian Mental Health Association to name just a few. I am hoping to present an action plan to the Ministry of Labour and the W.S.I.B, in the hope of developing an action plan to provide support for injured workers and their families injured workers are at risk for long term frustration and anger. The process of navigating through a claim can leave one rife with anger, and create a mindset that is counterproductive. The stigma of receiving benefits and not working can create difficulties for the injured worker. One can feel like a criminal, or have their self -esteem undermined.

This brings me to the notion of recovery. Recovery from a mental health episode or burnout may take a long time, and recovery may look different to different people. Physical injuries such as a broken arm are very visible and heal in set amount of times. However, mental health recovery times vary and one can be suspended .or stuck in an angry phase. When the infrastructure fails to have the necessary tools, or channels to address and offer support for those in crisis, the problem intensifies. Anger and frustration continue to build, and can lead someone to violent actions, or foster a very unhealthy relationship
between individuals and agencies. My goal is to help and make a contribution to the process, and help to create meaning interventions that encourage dialogue.The simple fact is many systems are numb to the complex issues of mental health. The culture of marginalizing the individual needs to changed and challenged. There are countless costs related to a mental health break down, costs to individuals, families and communities. Let’s invest into all Ontario workers and their families, creating policies that offer support, rather than judgements.

Comment by Paul Murphy on January 26, 2010 at 12:57pm

MeMeRoth
...

Re: Obesity
...
Re: Obesity
Thank you for your msg, Paul. I watched your video and agree 100% that therapy, especially on-going therapy, is a must to address the underlying reasons people are using food as a coping device.

NAAO never promotes going on diets. We all know the failure rates. Instead we promote reducing the risk of disease and further weight gain by daily exercise and eliminating obesity- and disease-accelerating substances from the food supply.

The most crucial element to reversing the obesity crisis is PREVENTION, especially among the 0-5 year olds. Attacking obesity before it strikes is far more effective than expecting overweight or obese people to lose weight later on. (I'm working on a project specifically geared toward removal of junk food from America's daycare centers... If you're interested, send me a msg.)

While this is a national health crisis (global too), I find our societal and governmental reaction to be dismal. Corporate America has zero motivation to make change. Imagine the business cost if Americans ate only the portions and foods necessary for optimal health?

Thanks again for contacting me, Paul. I wish you all the best. In my private practice (www.MeMeRoth.net) offering Integrative Nutrition Counseling, we couple nutrition advice w/ counseling from board certified psychologists who specialize in food and obesity issues.

Take Care!

MeMe



Original Message:

Comment by Paul Murphy on January 15, 2010 at 8:41am

Obesity Blaming continues to confuse the real issue. It stops the conversation cold, and it allows the food environment to escape any measure of accountability. I am calling for a national obesity conversation to take place. Please add your voice to this cause by joining the web site , and using your resources to share the work. This is 100 % not for profit.

Comment by Paul Murphy on January 8, 2010 at 10:05am

I am fat. I suppose it is hereditary. Everyday, every second, ALL I think about is how I want to be skinny (or at least thin). It has been an ongoing obsession even when I was "thin." My body image has prevented me from doing all the fun things I would like to be doing. I never meant to get fat. I have no metabolism, and food is a comfort. Thanks for talking about this issue. I hope thin people will wake up and see that nobody wants to be fat and it is NOT okay to discriminate.

Comment by Paul Murphy on November 18, 2009 at 8:08am

Hello Paul,
>
> I had a chance to view your video this morning. I think you've done a
> nice job telling your story about Binge-eating disorder. It's not common
> to hear the male perspective on these experiences, and I think it will
> be very helpful to other men struggling with food to hear your story,
> and to know that it is okay to ask for help and support. I'm glad that
> your work with John is going so well, and I wish you the best of luck.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Rebecca
>
> paul murphy wrote:

Comment by Paul Murphy on November 17, 2009 at 7:08pm

MeMeRoth
...

Re: Obesity
...
Re: Obesity
Thank you for your msg, Paul. I watched your video and agree 100% that therapy, especially on-going therapy, is a must to address the underlying reasons people are using food as a coping device.

NAAO never promotes going on diets. We all know the failure rates. Instead we promote reducing the risk of disease and further weight gain by daily exercise and eliminating obesity- and disease-accelerating substances from the food supply.

The most crucial element to reversing the obesity crisis is PREVENTION, especially among the 0-5 year olds. Attacking obesity before it strikes is far more effective than expecting overweight or obese people to lose weight later on. (I'm working on a project specifically geared toward removal of junk food from America's daycare centers... If you're interested, send me a msg.)

While this is a national health crisis (global too), I find our societal and governmental reaction to be dismal. Corporate America has zero motivation to make change. Imagine the business cost if Americans ate only the portions and foods necessary for optimal health?

Thanks again for contacting me, Paul. I wish you all the best. In my private practice (www.MeMeRoth.net) offering Integrative Nutrition Counseling, we couple nutrition advice w/ counseling from board certified psychologists who specialize in food and obesity issues.

Take Care!

MeMe



Original Message:

Comment by Paul Murphy on August 25, 2009 at 3:42am

http://www.fftimes.com/forward/emailref/node/219181