Navigating Motherhood
Where is the instruction manual?
Reprinted from the Supporting Parents issue of Visions Journal, 2021, 17 (1), pp. 14-16
Men
Gender is an important lens to help us understand mental health and substance use problems. Men and boys may face unique challenges in talking about mental health, seeking help, and finding support in their communities. Understanding their experiences is an important part in changing the culture of seeking help and supporting men.
What Do Trauma and Gender Have to Do with Opioid Use?
The majority of women and men with substance use problems report having experienced some form of trauma, and most have experienced multiple traumas. People often report that they use substances to help cope with the stress or negative emotions that result from trauma.
Treatments: What Works?
It seems like everyone has an opinion when it comes to treatments for mental health or substance use problems. To add to the confusion, it isn’t always obvious who is basing their opinions on real evidence and who is not. And while we often hear people talk about evidence-based treatments, it’s also clear that complementary and alternative medicine approaches are helpful for some.
Finding the Right Help - Navigating the System
While it's common to talk about the mental health system, the system isn’t a singular entity. The system might include primary care, mental health, substance use, housing, income assistance, and justice. They are not always accessed the same way, through similar gatekeepers.
Men
This issue looks at men's and boy's mental health. Although there are arguments that all mental health services and research are implicitly based on men, but if a gender lens reveals inequities for women then it also has the ability to reveal areas of concern for men. In this volume, read about the challenges of fatherhood, suicide risk factors at various ages, and 'drive for muscularity.'
