“We must reject not only the stereotypes
that others hold of us, but also the
stereotypes that we hold of ourselves”
= Shirley Chisholm
The above quote was made by American Politician, Shirley Chisholm, the first woman of colour to be elected to Congress, and the first woman and person of colour to be nominated for Presidential election. A powerful and accomplished woman, she spoke from the heart, advocating the strength of women, even though it seemingly had to be earned, versus the strength of man that was seemingly given at birth.
Though changing now, “being a man” has long been associated with strength, power and success, with weakness, fragility and vulnerability seemingly being outside their realm.
Which raises the question – why is “being a man” branded in such a way? For a man, is simply, an adult male human being, and all human beings are susceptible to all things.
Yet this bravado of invincibility has contributed to a mentality around men that needing help and seeking assistance is a taboo. From a health perspective, this has had and continues to have, a detrimental effect. The reality of this, is that fifty men die every day in Australia from preventable health causes or conditions.
June is Men’s Health Month, putting a focus on men knowing the facts, breaking down barriers to seeking help and encouraging them to get a check-up. Even if feeling well or with no known issues, a health check with your GP, can identify risks, and provide early detection to put you on the right path to prevention.
Talk with your GP or if you want more information then visit the websites on this page. It is so important that we all encourage the man/men in our lives to get a health check, not just this month, but also beyond.
Let’s face it, to be any sort of man, you have to be alive and hopefully well. There is no weakness in caring for your physical and/or mental health, especially so you can be at your best for others. Now that’s a powerful “man”tra!
Stay well, – Corinne G.
Healthy Minds For Our Men
Shockingly these are the stats for Australian men and it doesn’t have
to be this way.
• 3 out of 4 deaths by suicide are men
• On average 5 men each day take their life through suicide in Australia
• 1 in 2 men will have a mental health problem at some point in their life
• 1 in 8 men will experience depression in their lifetime
Our men need to be more proactive about their mental health, be aware of the risk factors and symptoms, and stay connected with friends, family and other support networks.
We have a variety of resources including Beyond Blue and 
Mantherapy.org.au as well as some great
causes such as Movember.
Or locally, Healthy Minds Geelong
is the perfect first step.
Check out their website at:
healthymindsgeelong.org.au
It’s Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
Unfortunately, up to 280 Australians will be diagnosed with bowel cancer this week and sadly, around 5276 people lose their lives from this disease, each year. However, if this disease is detected early, 99% of people can be treated successfully. So be sure to kindly donate or fundraise on behalf of Bowel Cancer Australia, digging deeply during Bowel Cancer Awareness month in June.
For further details head to
bowelcanceraustralia.org
Men’s Health Week – 9-15 June
Men’s Health Week is a great opportunity for organisations,
workplaces, and communities to focus on some of the different ways we can keep men and boys healthier. This includes Men’s Mental Health, Men’s Heart Health, Exercise Health, and Mateship + Men’s Health. Men’s Health Checks, are pertinent in saving lives. Head to Australian Men’s Health Forum for ‘Know Your Man Facts’ Toolkits, which outline everything our men should be doing for optimum overall physical and mental health.
Be sure to head to: amhf.org.au
