Guide to Preventing & Treating Addiction in Men

Desperate addict

June is designated as Men’s Health Month, focused on raising public awareness of health-related issues facing men today, and encouraging me to take health-oriented preventive measures to safeguard and preserve their health. During Men’s Health Month, the week of June 15th through the 21st, 2015, is designated as Men’s Health Week.

More About Men’s Health Month

Men’s Health Month is celebrated, in part, by a nationwide Congressional health education program that includes health fairs, health screenings, media appearances and a host of health education and outreach activities.

Men’s Health Month focuses on raising awareness of preventable health problems, and encourages the early detection and early treatment of disease amongst men and boys. During June, public policy makers, health care providers, the media, and concerned individuals have an opportunity to encourage men and boys to take preventive health measures, and seek health practitioner advice and timely treatment for injury or disease.

According to Congressman Bill Richardson in 1994, the recognition and prevention of men’s health problems “is not just a man’s issue,” as it impacts wives, mothers, sisters and daughters, making men’s health “truly a family issue.”

The Men’s Health Network

The Men’s Health Network, (MHN), a non-profit organization, focuses on men, boys and their families “where they live, work, play and pray” with their messages of health prevention, health prevention tools, educational materials, screening programs, and advocacy opportunities.

Each June, MHN celebrates Men’s Health Month, and Men’s Health Week—the week that leads up to and includes Father’s Day.

According to HealthZone, an MHN sponsored program, men’s health in America is steadily deteriorating. The decline is largely attributed to poor health education, culturally-induced patterns of behavior, and lack of awareness. As a consequence, men currently face a shorter life span, and a higher mortality rate than women for 9 of the 10 leading death causes.

It is pointed out once again that men’s health, including that of fathers, brothers, sons and husbands, is a very real concern for the women who love and care about them. Men’s health is also an issue for employers who lose employees and their production and incur the costs of medical care for their impaired health or injuries. Society, too, is vulnerable to the great cost of men’s premature death and disability.

Preventing and Treating Addiction in Men

The following guide to preventing and treating addiction in men focuses on some basic and user-friendly actions you can take in your own life.

Improve Your Health

Feeling tired, “not well,” stress, or being in pain opens the door to chemical substance use and abuse.

A healthy, nutritious diet is important to maintaining health and preventing disease. Consuming organic, locally-grown food boosts your health. Get rid of “empty calories” such as sugar, and chemical and preservative-laden commercial and fast food from your diet.

Exercise daily. Choose something you enjoy.

Improve Your Environment

Your environment is made-up of your surroundings. It includes people, pets, mechanical objects, the clothes you wear, the weather, and the culture you live in. If you are involved in a “toxic relationship,” or experience the daily stress of a “toxic person” in your life, it can open the door to substance abuse as a means to cope, or in a futile attempt to “solve” the problem. Don’t risk your sanity and well-being. Surround yourself with positive people who mean you well. Choose an environment in which you feel safe and comfortable. Take effective measures to diminish and curtail environmental stresses.

Strengthen Your Faith

Man has always held the belief in someone or something greater than himself. Mankind’s finest qualities stem from his spiritual nature. Whether you choose a traditional or non-traditional belief system, meditation, Yoga, or a spiritual journey to discover what you really do believe in, it can help deter resorting to chemical substances to fill a spiritual void.

Seek Treatment

It is possible to recover your life from addiction. It begins with a decision, followed with committed action and a burning desire to live a sober life. Look for an out-come based treatment program that takes a holistic, drug-free approach to treating addiction.

AUTHOR
KH

Karen Hadley

For more than a decade, Karen has been researching and writing about drug trafficking, drug abuse, addiction and recovery. She has also studied and written about policy issues related to drug treatment.

NARCONON ARROWHEAD

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION