Health and Wellness
A New Story, Never Forgetting Who You Are
Dr. James C. Rodriguez, MSW
24 August 2023
INCLUDING MEN IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Finding Strength In Imperfection
In 2023, I was asked as a featured speaker, keynote, and presenter about mental health's impacts on men at several national events. I want to share one of the training sessions (below) with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in partnership with the National Federation of Families to examine how we can include men in wellness programs. I believe everyone has moments in life where we are broken, and we discover how to explore new pathways to repair the cracks of brokenness through healing, resilience, and robustness. The recovery can be swift, or it can take years. Others never move beyond the chards of being broken and, thus, never heal. I use a few poems in the courses I am honored to teach. "My storehouse has burnt down; there is nothing to obstruct the moon."- Mizuta Masahide. By accepting the past, this poem glances at lessons I continuously learn. My journey in life has allowed me to get through many trials of life. I would never heal if I stayed in the essence of past injuries. Even More Beautiful - Even More Precious - Even More Resilient - Even More Present is a metaphor of Kintsugi that a funny experience reminded me of the mentoring of an 89-year-old veteran a few weeks ago. I listened like a young boy listening to his grandfather because of the wisdom he poured into me. One of the most significant barriers for men to access health care, we believe our natural strengths are that we can take care of anything, even if broken into thousands of pieces.
Too many amazing dads for generations never seek support, leaving a legacy of struggle.