More people in Greater Peoria and nationwide are beginning to broach the subject of mental health and the stigmas surrounding it. However, one demographic in particular continues to struggle. Not only are they struggling, but they’re rarely asking for help.

Six million men are impacted by depression every year, according to a 2020 study done by Mental Health America. Even more jarring, men are four times more likely to die by suicide compared to women. Dr. Samuel Sears is the consult psychiatrist for OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

Mental Health America

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“That is due to the lethality of the means men tend to use,” Sears said. “Men tend to go toward very violent ends to their life via guns, knives, hangings, things like that…and so that lack of connection, lack of ability to kind of reach out, tends to mix very poorly with men tending to aim toward more final and violent means when they do attempt results in that very stark statistic.”

Mental illness in men often goes unreported, overlooked and untreated because they’re far less likely to seek out treatment. Dr. Ted Chapin of Chapin and Russell Associates is a marriage and family therapist and a licensed psychologist in Peoria. He opened his own private practice over thirty years ago alongside his wife. He said many of the reasons why men don’t seek help can be traced back to traditional masculine and feminine norms.

“Feminine norms are more open to talking about emotions and feelings and relationships, and male norms are more toughness and teamwork and competition and stoicism, kind of keeping your emotions more to yourself,” he said. “And so, that vulnerability isn’t quite as readily there for most men.”

While vulnerability may be tough to access, it’s clear that men aren’t lacking emotions. Chapin said research done at the practice many years ago indicated that both men and women feel the same number of emotions on a daily basis. But when they were asked about the number of emotions they actually expressed, there was a stark difference.

Dr. Ted Chapin of Chapin and Russell Associates is a licensed psychologist and marriage and family therapist in Peoria.

“Men expressed far fewer emotions than women did, and they tend to categorize those emotions in larger groups, like I was feeling bad, or I was feeling okay, not the finite kind of emotional expression that women are probably more socialized and equipped to be able to do,” Chapin said. “So, I think that probably says a lot as to what makes it tougher for men to kind of do therapy, because therapy by its nature tends to deal with that inner world, emotions and relationships.’

Chapin noted there are a number of factors that could influence why a person doesn’t or can’t easily express their emotions, like their culture, generational influences and family experiences. While some point to ‘toxic masculinity’ as a potential reason for this suppression, Chapin said that’s more of a pop psychology phrase and isn’t as helpful when it comes to diagnosing certain behaviors.

“We would see a person as an individual, and we would work with what they present,” Chapin said. “So, if they present anxiety, or they present quickness to anger or compulsiveness or being overly controlling, we’ll kind of follow those symptoms and work around those to develop the other side, the skills that are better to kind of balance out those traits…not label them necessarily as toxic masculinity, but talk about the limitations of those approaches in dealing with yourself or with the relationships in your life.

Chapin often uses the theoretical background of union therapy in his own counseling practice. It states that both men and women each have a feminine side and masculine side. Depending on how a person is socialized, one side typically becomes much more developed than the other.

“When those two sides are developed fully…Carl Jung would say individuation can happen,” Chapin said.

When this happens, Chapin noted that we become fully who we’re meant to be.

“I know it sounds pretty lofty, but for me, it sets quite the agenda of what we want to work toward in working with men in particular, develop the other side,” he said.

In order to develop the other side, Chapin said therapy is a great place to start. However, it can be especially hard for men to take that step. Roger Mohn of Peoria knows this struggle firsthand.

“You’ve got to learn to deal with the hand you’re given and your lot in life…and be able to recognize that you need help and then to get that help,” Mohn said.

Mohn said his wife gave him the push he needed to eventually seek professional help for his depression. He’s now treasurer and sits on the board of directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness Tri-County Illinois (NAMI).

Roger Mohn has been involved with NAMI since 2005

Founded in 1979, NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization and has over 1,000 affiliates across the country. The organization works to improve the lives of those impacted by mental illness through monthly education meetings, classes with mental health experts and a family to family program.

But Mohn’s journey with mental health started well before his involvement with NAMI. Mohn’s father was an alcoholic and his mother was bipolar.

“It was me and my brother and sister,” Mohn said. “I was the youngest, and we often referred to ourselves as a wolf pack, because my mother was in and out of mental institutions or hospitals and my father, in order to cope with it, drank, and that was not good.”

He said in his family, mental illness is hereditary. His son is also bipolar, something that Mohn said was hard to come to terms with at first.

“You want to say, no, not again, or not us, or whatever,” Mohn said. “But it is what it is.”

As Mohn’s life began to become more and more stressful with the closing of his family’s business, he knew something wasn’t right.

“Something was wrong, and I just started having dark, negative thoughts,” Mohn said. “And so went and talked to the doctor, went and talked to the counselor and everything else, never really had a psychiatrist, per se, but my doctor, my counselor…they were able to prescribe some medication for me that really helped and got me through that rough patch.

While Mohn was able to reach out for help, he said it was difficult at first for him to admit that he needed it, a reality that many men struggle with.

“It’s our stupid pride,” Mohn said. “That’s exactly what it is…you don’t want to admit it, you don’t want to face up to it, you don’t want others to know about it, and it’s a macho thing. It really is.”

“Us guys are a stubborn breed…you want to put that stuff on the back burner,” he said. “Well, you can only put that stuff on the back burner for too long before it just keeps coming back and back, and so you’ve got to reach out.”

Mohn said there’s a societal perception of men always having to be strong, leader types that aren’t supposed to suffer from mental illness. But the statistics reveal the truth.

“There’s a lot of perceived shame…I had so much shame when I was a kid…I look back at that point in my life, and I still carry bad feelings about that today, just because of the way I felt about my mother or my father,” Mohn said.

Fast forward to today and Mohn said mental health has become a hot topic, and he believes the perception and stigmas surrounding it are changing.

“More people are talking about mental health and mental illness today than ever before, and rightfully so. I think our society is finally waking up to the fact that we need to do something about this,” Mohn said.

Roger Mohn with his book published in 2019.

Mohn has chronicled his and his family’s story in a book titled ‘A Different Kind of Closet: The Struggles of Mental Illness’ in an effort to help other families who have a history of mental illness. OSF has also launched an app called SilverCloud, an anonymous platform that provides tools to manage stress, anxiety and depression from the comfort of your home.

Mohn said at the end of the day, more openness and communication is needed to solve the problem and end the stigma.

“We’ll be working on that forever,” he said. “I know it’s tough for us guys…we just need to open up and realize that if there’s an issue there, we have to come forward.”

We depend on your support to keep telling stories like this one. You – together with donors across the NPR Network – create a more informed public. Fact by fact, story by story. Please take a moment to donate now and fund the local news our community needs. Your support truly makes a difference.

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A few years ago, the NBA started requiring every team to have a licensed and experienced professional who can help players battling mental issues. It was a landmark step that was unanimously welcomed by the basketball community.

Most basketball fans see elite athletes like those in the NBA as somewhat “supermen.” Yet, that has never been the case.

Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan are two of those who came out to admit their mental struggles, helping others in the process to face their issues. More than a few were not so fortunate that they had to miss games or completely remove themselves from the game they love.

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we take a look back on Kevin Love’s 2018 story:

“Growing up, you figure out really quickly how a boy is supposed to act. You learn what it takes to “be a man.” It’s like a playbook: Be strong. Don’t talk about your feelings. Get through… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… pic.twitter.com/a9YjVgZe5O

Here are five players who missed games or left the NBA due to mental health concerns

#5 Tyrell Terry

After a strong one-and-done season at Stanford, Tyrell Terry was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 2020. Some scouts believed Terry was a steal despite the Mavs being him at No. 31. He was reportedly good enough to be a lottery pick had he stayed for one more year in college.

Terry couldn’t even scratch his potential as he played just 11 games with the Mavericks before he was waived. The following season, he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies who also dismissed him in two games.

One of the best high school prospects was apparently battling mental issues that no one noticed until he quit the NBA:

“While I have achieved amazing accomplishments, created unforgettable memories, and made lifelong friends…I’ve also experienced the darkest times of my life.
“To the point where instead of building me up, it began to destroy me. Where I began to despise and question the value of myself, much more than those surrounding me could ever see or know.”

Tyrell Terry, Mavs’ No. 31 overall draft pick in 2020, just announced his retirement from basketball, citing “the darkest times of my life” and “the anxiety this sport has caused me.” pic.twitter.com/1Spw5iGQ9y

#4 Larry Sanders

Larry Sanders looked like he was going to be one of the emerging young big men once in his career in the NBA. In his third season with the Milwaukee Bucks, he averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 71 games.

It all went quickly downhill for him. In his next three seasons, he averaged just 6.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 55 games. He suddenly quit after just five games during the 2016-17 season.

Weeks later, he revealed that he left the dream he was living in to seek help and treatment for anxiety and depression. Larry Sanders didn’t go into details of his struggles but it must have been extremely tough that he had to give up his NBA career. The lanky center was only 28 years old when he decided that his mental struggles have to be addressed first above anything else.

#3 Royce White

In 2012, the Houston Rockets made Royce White the 16th pick of the NBA draft. White had a superb college career in Iowa where he led his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

The buzz around him, though, wasn’t his basketball skills, which were quite obvious. It was his well-publicized General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). White’s anxiety was reportedly due to his fear of flying, forcing him to travel by bus instead of plane.

Royce White pushed for a mental health policy that the NBA didn’t act on. He was instead sent by the Rockets to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Rio Grande Vipers.

White eventually played for the Sacramento Kings on a 10-day contract and played just three games.

#2 Andre Drummond

On March 20, 2023, Chicago Bulls backup center Andre Drummond was listed out by the team due to personal reasons.

A few days before the game, he posted this on Twitter:

“Deleting all my social apps my Managment will take over, also changing my number .. Time to focus on my mental health. If you too are struggling with your mental health, you are not alone it’s okay to ask for help”
Deleting all my social apps my Managment will take over , also changing my number ..
Time to focus on my mental health . If you too are struggling with your mental health, you are not alone Quick Links

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Edited by Michael Macasero

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People in parts of Canterbury are being encouraged to evacuate amid heavy downpours that have forced the closure of an Ashburton bridge and multiple other roads across the region.

The Wamakariri District Council is encouraging residents in Tuahiwi to self-evacuate.

There is a risk of further flooding at high tide tonight (8pm) when the Cam River is most affected by the incoming tide.

“If you can stay with friends and family tonight, we advise you to do this as a precaution,” the council shared on Facebook.

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If not, they have also established a Civil Defence Centre located at The Riverside Church in Kaiapoi at 45 Charles Street, Kaiapoi.

Waimakariri MP Dan Rosewarne told Newstalk ZB the evacuation centre was expecting up to 115 families.

Rosewarne said the key message for locals was to “just check on your neighbours, knock on their door, see if they’re ok”.

“See if they’ve got supplies, see if they’ve got family themselves in the local area that they could, get help from and if need be just help them evacuate because some members in our community don’t always have a vehicle,” Rosewarne said

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“They may have mobility issues so just knocking on your neighbour’s door and making sure that they’re ok.”

Rosewarne said the rain was easing in the area currently.

The Waimakariri District Council has over 100mls of rain today. The rain is still expected to continue into the night, with potentially another 60 to 90 mm on top of what has already fallen.

Residents who have evacuated already are asked to stay away overnight due to rising floodwaters. Another update will not be available until the morning, the council reported.

Duty Civil Defence Emergency Management controller Murray Washington was encouraging Lower and Upper Selwyn Huts residents to evacuate due to the risk of them becoming isolated due to rising river levels.

River levels are increasing due to heavy rains in the Selwyn River catchment and are anticipated to climb further overnight. This might result in out-of-stream flooding in the lower Selwyn catchment and across Days Road.

Civil Defence is supporting residents and has established a Civil Defence Centre at Lincoln Event Centre on Meijer Drive, Lincoln if residents have nowhere to go. Days Road may be closed after the self-evacuation.

Flooding on the Kaiapoi River earlier today. Photo / Supplied

A number of pump stations were at capacity or overflowing in Kaiapoi, Wamakariri District Council advised, and they had deployed several pumps and sucker trucks around the district.

The Wamakariri District Council advised locals about the hazards of flood water, advising them not to allow their children to play in it and to fully wash their hands after coming into contact with it.

The council were aware of several homes that had been affected by flood water, and only a limited supply of sandbags were available.

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Flood water has caused further havoc across the Canterbury region.

Fire and Emergency received calls about a car stuck in floodwater on Hinds Highway in Tinwald, Ashburton at 7.50pm this evening.

Upon arrival, the two passengers had managed to exit the car and did not need rescuing from the two fire engines that were sent to the scene, a spokesperson said.

The SH1 Ashburton River/Hakatere Bridge will be closed by Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency starting today (Sunday) from 7pm until roughly 6am on Monday, July 24.

Waka Kotahi Central South Island system manager Mark Pinner said this a precautionary measure due to the build-up of flood debris around the bridge piers.

Although the river levels are not equivalent to the flood of 2021, which undermined part of the bridge and necessitated restoration, a cautious approach is appropriate given the prediction for more rain, according to Pinner.

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Advertise with NZME.Debris on the Ashburton River collects against the Hakatere Bridge, part of State Highway 1, as heavy rains cause widespread flooding in the Canterbury region.

“If the river levels drop and concerns over debris lessen, the bridge may re-open later tonight or earlier tomorrow. However, we prefer people to be aware of the potential for the full overnight closure ahead of time,” Pinner said.

Emergency vehicles will be allowed across the bridge. Electronic moveable signs are going in place now north of Timaru and Rangitata, with permanent signs advertising the bridge closure in Rolleston, Rakaia and Hinds.

Additionally, flooding has forced the closure of SH77 in Mid Canterbury between Thompsons Track and Pole Road. People must be informed of this and use alternate routes because local road bridges are also closed, Waka Kotahi said.

There is an alternate route through SH8 and SH1 from Geraldine to Fairlie following the closure on SH79 at Middle Valley.

While there are some flooded sections of SH73 Springfield to Castle Hill, it is still passable. Waka Kotahi advises all drivers to drive according to the conditions when making necessary excursions.

There is stop/go traffic management along SH75 Banks Peninsula from Birdlings Flat to Cooptown and a number of small slips restricting traffic. The route opened after lunch following an earlier closure to clear a large slip near Little River.

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MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker earlier today said they were expecting between 60-90 millimetres more rainfall between this morning and 3am on Monday, more about the higher ground.

A heavy rain warning is in place, which will last until 3am tomorrow.

At 8am this morning, MetService forecasted 70 to 100mm of rain, on top of what had already fallen, with peak rates of 10 to 15mm/h.

Ashburton has seen 71mm of rain since 8pm last night. Christchurch is at 65mm and Timaru 46mm.

Snow also fell overnight; Bakker said it was difficult to say how much snow had fallen.

“It’s not surprising to be getting a fair bit of snow because the temperatures have been really cold down south,” Bakker said.

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“The worse of the snowfall is probably over, but what we’re concerned about is the heavy rain, which is causing flooding and slips.”

Eastern Marlborough, Canterbury and North Otago all have heavy rain warnings in effect until 3am tomorrow.

The slow-moving low-pressure system east of New Zealand, which is still directing a moist easterly flow over the South Island, is the cause of the heavy downpours.

Earlier today, Bakker said that on top of what had already fallen, portions of Eastern Marlborough and Canterbury should anticipate an additional 70 to 100mm of rain.

Another 60 to 90mm of rain is forecast for the foothills and High Country in the districts south of Cheviot.

“Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly, with surface flooding and slips possible,” Bakker said.

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According to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa), Akaroa in the Banks Peninsula had its rainiest day on record, at least provisionally, with 198mm of rain pouring down between 9am yesterday and 9am today.

It stated there had already been more than a month’s worth of rain in many parts of Canterbury, and there would yet be more.

Rainfall totals in Winchmore were 76.2mm, 94.4mm in Wakanui and 94.4mm in Rangiora.

After dawn tomorrow, the rain will begin to ease in Canterbury, according to MetService. The downpours are expected to completely finish by the time night falls.

Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.

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Saksa, the position 4 support player for The International 11 champions Tundra Esports has dropped out of the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters 2023 after struggling with anxiety, sleep, and his mental health. (Photo: Dota 2 TI Flickr)

Western European Dota 2 powerhouse Tundra Esports announced on Saturday (22 July) that their position 4 support player, Martin “Saksa” Sazdov, will be missing the rest of the ongoing Riyadh Masters 2023 after he was forced to fly home due to illness.

Tundra’s coach, Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling will be standing-in for Saksa for the remainder of the tournament.

In a post on his personal Twitter account, Saksa explained that his exit from the Riyadh Masters was caused by an ongoing struggle with “anxiety, sleep, and [his] mental health”.

“Sorry to my teammates and Tundra for doing this last minute and I’m thankful for them supporting me this whole time,” said Saksa.

This marks the fourth time that Saksa has exited a tournament early during the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season.

Back in April, Saksa made his first early exit from a tournament in DreamLeague Season 19 due to burnout. He also missed out on DreamLeague Season 20 in June.

Saksa’s third early exit in a tournament then came during the Bali Major earlier this month.

Tundra has seen mixed results in the events that Saksa missed out on this season. The team finished fourth in DreamLeague Season 19, 9th-10th in DreamLeague Season 20, and third in the Bali Major.

With that said, the reigning The International (TI) champions are still primed to defend the Aegis of Champions as they were one of the 12 teams to secure direct invites to TI 2023, which will be hosted in Seattle this October.

The intense competition schedule of Dota 2

The gruelling competition in the DPC, especially in the cutthroat Western European regional league, seems to have taken its toll on Saksa.

After helping Tundra claim the Aegis of Champions in TI 2022 last October, Saksa and his teammates only had three months to rest before the 2023 DPC season kicked off in early January.

It’s a much shorter offseason compared to most of the top professional sports leagues around the world.

Story continues

So far this season, Saksa and Tundra have played in the Winter, Spring, and Summer Tour regional leagues in Western Europe as well as all three Majors in Lima, Berlin, and Bali.

Outside of the DPC, Tundra has also played in the BetBoom Universe: Episode I – Comics Zone, DreamLeague Season 19, DreamLeague Season 20, and the ongoing Riyadh Masters.

Once the Riyadh Masters concludes on 30 July, Saksa and Tundra will have two and a half months to rest and prepare before they defend the Aegis of Champions in TI 2023, which kicks off with its Group Stage on 12 October.

Saksa is not the only player to miss out on competition this season due to health reasons.

Team Liquid’s Samuel “Boxi” Svahn was forced to exit the Lima Major due to a health emergency, even if the team was set to play in the Major’s upper bracket finals at the time. While Liquid was still able to reach the Grand Finals despite Boxi’s absence, they lost the title to Gaimin Gladiators in a 0-3 sweep.

Nigma Galaxy’s Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi has elected to miss out on the 2023 DPC season altogether due to lingering health issues. With that said, he did return to the team as a stand-in for DreamLeague Season 19.

OG’s Tommy “Taiga” Le also missed some time during the Summer Tour regional league in May after struggling with anxiety and depression. Héctor “K1” Rodríguez also took a mental health break in that same month.

For more esports news updates, visit https://yhoo.it/YahooEsportsSEA and check out Yahoo Esports Southeast Asia’s Facebook page and Twitter, as well as our Gaming channel on YouTube.

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