addiction

Addiction is a very common challenge among men that is typically an external response to an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Different forms of addiction include alcohol and drug abuse, pornography, and even our work can become an escape from what we are dealing with.

Approximately 16.6 million men in the United States ages 18 and older have an Alcohol Use Disorder. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. (2024).

anxiety

Anxiety is a common struggle among men that will look differently for each individual.

Symptoms of anxiety can include feeling on edge, irritability, avoidance, trouble making decisions or concentrating, intense fear, and poor sleep or eating patterns. These disorders can take different forms such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety, and phobias.

More than 3 million men in the United States have panic disorder, agoraphobia, or any other phobia Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. (2024).

depression & Suicidality

Men have a significantly higher suicide rate of 4x as much as women. Over 6 million men suffer from depression per year, but male depression is often underdiagnosed due to the propensity for males to minimize what they are feeling or going through in life Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. (2024).

divorce

In the United States approximately 50% of marriages end in divorce.  There can be many difficulties for men who are going through a divorce. It can be expected that a divorce will take a toll on you significantly without the proper support and tools to help you heal and move forward with hope. Navigating the end of a marriage, to splitting time with children, change of a financial situation, loss of mutual friends, and adjusting to a new reality can feel daunting. These difficulties may feel unmanageable without additional support from someone who is not emotionally involved.

career & Lifestyle expectations

As men, we can be driven to excel in our career, hobbies, and honestly, many things outside of our obligations at home, in our marriage, and with children. Adding external pressures to our life can feel too difficult to maintain our well- being and health. This can lead to a struggle between our personal drive for success and providing for our families while making sure our significant other and children feel loved and supported. It is common for men to believe that the only thing they are expected to do is provide financially from there 8 to 5 job and once they come home they are off the clock. The reality is you are expected to do both: work and serve your families in different ways while also ensuring you are taken care of as well. Waves of Grace Counseling can provide you the insight, support, and tools to ensure you can do all the above optimally and in a healthy manner without losing yourself in the process. 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (ptsd)

Symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder include unwanted nightmares and flashbacks, strong negative feelings about oneself, others, or the world around them, hypervigilance, and an exaggerated startle response.  PTSD symptoms may be very persistent due to a deep level of shame and guilt over what you have experienced even though it was not your fault. The societal assumption is that PTSD is only something dealt by military and first responders from experiencing war combat and job related calls but that is not the full truth. PTSD can also be caused by a variety of trauma and abuse including physical, sexual and emotional abuse.