LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – According to the experts, #mentalillness is a public health crisis here in the United States. However, #men don’t usually talk about their #mentalhealthstruggles, leading to an increased rate of #malesuicides.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Experts agree that conversations about men’s #mentalhealth help remove the #stigma and save lives.
“I realized that I was so alone – or I felt so alone…” #Mentalhealth author and speaker, Jason Wood, uses his own experience with #mentalillness to help other #men feel comfortable talking about their struggles.
“I was going through my battle because there weren’t a lot of other #men out there talking about their experience with an #eatingdisorder in particular.”
Wood said #eatingdisorders are the second deadliest #mentalillness. His #eatingdisorder, unfortunately, led to other issues. “I began to withdraw from social situations.” Something Wood said he wasn’t talking about.
“There was also my #anxiety that was keeping me from social situations as well. So, that was a very isolating factor. Mentally, I was just really, really low on myself. I had a low #self-worth.”
Like Wood, men’s #mentalhealthadvocate Anson Whitmer said #mentalhealthstruggles haunted two of his family members. That experience led Whitmer to create an app for #men. It’s called Mental.
“I lost both my uncle and my cousin on different sides of the family to #suicide. And I knew that at least one of them tried to reach out for help and didn’t resonate with any of the solutions out there,” said Whitmer.
He said the app helps #men beat #stress, build discipline, and find purpose. Whitmer said most #mentalhealthsupport focuses on #women and #children. “No one really is connecting with #men.”
Whitmer said “one report says there’s 10 to 20,000 #mentalhealth apps out there and not a single one is built for #men.” He said while #men make up 80% of #suicides, “if we don’t figure out a way to get through to #men we will never bring down the #suicidecrisis.”
According to #MentalHealth America, more people are reporting #mentalhealthconcerns but only 28% were able to find care.
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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