Guts, Grit & The Grind: The Stories, Science and Strategy of Men's Mental Health (#ElevateTheConvo Twitter Chat)

When: Wednesday, April 20, 2022

8:00PM ET/7:00PM CT

6:00PM MT/5:00PM PT

Where:?Twitter #ElevateTheConvo

What:?1-hour conversation. Just follow the #ElevateTheConvo hashtag on Twitter and join in as our panelists -- all contributors to the last book in the men's mental health anthology series "Guts, Grit & The Grind"

Feel free to join in the conversation. If you are new to participating in a Twitter Chat here is a brief??"how to" article. At the time of the chat just put the hashtag #ElevateTheConvo in the Twitter search field, then hit the "latest" tab and you will see the most recent posts. When you refresh the search tab new posts will emerge.

Who: All those interested in learning or sharing about men's mental health.

Overview

[From the PROLOGUE of Book 4 - "Guts, Grit & The Grind"]

For too long, we have widely believed that men will not disclose their struggles, sorrow, trauma, and loss. This narrative has infiltrated most communities—even the mental health field. But we, the editors of Guts, Grit & The Grind, observed through our process of collecting men’s stories that it is simply not true. We have learned that when you create a space where men can share their experiences, wins and losses, successes and even failures in a way that they believe can make a difference for other people, they will do it with fortitude and honor.

In fact, we received so many powerful submissions from around the globe that what started off as one small book turned into a series of four, with this being the final. Our original market research demonstrated that men wanted to hear both from everyday men that they could relate to as well as from the “experts” on men’s mental health, which prompted us to format this series a manual with concrete tools to help men make their self-repairs and tips for when they might need professional help from a trusted “MENtal Mechanic.”

In fact, the analogy to car maintenance was so powerful, we organized the whole book series around the idea. The first book, Basic Mechanics, covers a preliminary introduction to the overall structure of the series, including preventive maintenance (building protective factors), troubleshooting (addressing emerging problems), and breakdown, repair, and overhaul (crisis response). The second book in the series, Advanced Mechanics in Preventative Maintenance, was based entirely on preventative measures like building resilience and strengthening relationships. Similar to changing the oil and rotating the tires on your car, these behaviors work best when performed proactively and on a regular basis. The third book, 10 Tools to Troubleshoot Men’s Mental Health Challenges, was based on troubleshooting common life difficulties that men face, such as job loss and grief. There, we focused on helping men identify problems when they are smaller (think, “Check the windshield washer fluid,” when the light comes on) and gave them coping strategies to turn the situation around before it became catastrophic.

?This final book, 10 Advanced Mechanical Tips to Repair and Overhaul after a Breakdown, addresses what to do when the check engine light is blaring, smoke is billowing from under the hood, and your bank account is on E. The world feels like it is collapsing around you when—all of a sudden—a good Samaritan pulls over and provides some assistance.

It turns out he has been exactly where you are. Well, perhaps not exactly—maybe he was on the highway instead of a back road, or maybe oil was flowing from under the hood instead of smoke. The important thing is that he found himself in a dire situation and then found his way out of it again. Now, he’s riding along in the passenger seat with a GPS, a roadmap to recovery, and—sometimes—a favor owed to him by a friend who owns a tow truck company.

This book is your good Samaritan. It is filled from cover to cover with stories of men who have been in the depths of despair and found their way out. Now, they want to share their story so that you, or a man you care about, can learn from their experience.

In this twitter chat, our storyteller put that mental engine up on the lift, pop the hood, adjust the work light, put on those safety goggles, and get to work.

Questions

1: What do we know about mens mental health and suicide risk? What do the data tell us about trends? What are some of the mistakes we make when trying to engage men to be proactive about their mental health?

2: What is your lived experience with mental health, addiction, trauma, or suicide? What moved you to share your story in the "Guts, Grit & The Grind" book on mens mental health?

3: How did you prepare to share your story for "Guts, Grit & The Grind"? What were biggest lessons learned and tools you found useful in your healing from emotional pain? What would you tell other men who are thinking about sharing their journey in recovery?

4: What are your hopes for the "Guts, Grit & The Grind" book? What do you think are the most important tools, features or potential opportunities for impact? How would you describe the book to a friend?

Panelists

Jason Holzer

@Coach_Holzer

Jason Holzer is an inspirational storyteller and speaker. Jason was raised in small-town Taos, Missouri, with a loving family that gave him every chance to succeed. His parents were supportive and provided everything he could ever need—until his life changed forever. On May 8, 2003, his dad unexpectedly passed away by suicide, leaving Jason, his mother, and two younger sisters behind. Through hard work, dedication, and a fierce faith in God, he is now a certified teacher, mental fitness specialist, and accomplished basketball coach. He is also a post-traumatic growth storyteller and the cofounder of 4D Athletes. His book, Shattered by Suicide, Renewed by Resilience: How to Move Forward After Being Left Behind, is an Amazon bestseller and is positively influencing many readers across the globe.

Sam Webb

@samwebbau

Sam has received notable recognition for cofounding the mental health organization and charity LIVIN after the death of his good mate Dwayne to suicide. The core of their mission is to end the stigma around mental health through apparel, community, and education.

Tom Cruz

@TCruz76

Retired First Sergeant Tom Cruz was deployed to Kosovo, Iraq, and Jordan. Tom is a level one master resilience trained personnel, an applied suicide intervention skills trainer, and an Army suicide intervention trainer. He is also the advisor to Veterans Counseling Veterans, committee member of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Lived Experience Advisory Committee, panel member of OurDataHelps.org, and was a subject matter expert for the White House and Office of the Surgeon General. In 2017, Cruz received the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Consumer/Peer/Family Leadership Award for his work to ensure that America’s military and veteran communities have access to the mental health and substance use treatment and services they deserve.

Brett Zachman

@BeMenBrothers

Zach received his bachelor’s in economics from Colorado College. Over the past two decades, he has enjoyed a varied career in creatives services, promotional marketing, e-commerce, and financial services, working both as an associate and a small business owner primarily in the areas of business and sales development. Zach is a native to Denver, Colorado. Outside the office, he leads an active lifestyle biking, hiking, playing and watching sports (namely basketball and football), spending time with his extended family and two sons, and building a non-profit organization dedicated to male wellness called BeMen (www.BeMen.org).

Mike Veny

@MikeVeny

Mike was determined to overcome a lifetime of serious mental health challenges to become a professional drummer and certified corporate wellness specialist. He’s the author of the bestselling book Transforming Stigma: How to Become a Mental Wellness Superhero. His expertise and life experience have been featured on ABC, NBC, and CBS News. As a 2017 PM360 ELITE Award Winner, he was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the healthcare industry. His mission is to support you in receiving the gift of emotional wellness through unique learning experiences designed to empower your personal and professional growth.

Rob England

@Wrestlingcardk1

Rob England is a member of the Yurok Tribe and has always lived near his ancestral homelands in Northern California. He has a bachelor’s degree in Native American studies and a master’s degree in psychology. He currently serves as the Tribal public health director for United Indian Health Services in Arcata, CA. He has over 20 years of experience working directly with Tribal communities and believes the answers for Tribal populations reside within the communities themselves. In 2021, Rob received a National Impact Award through the National Indian Health Board for his work in health care and suicide prevention.

Josh Rivedal

@JoshuaRivedal

Josh is the creator and founder of Changing Minds, a mental health-based curriculum, and The i’Mpossible Project. He has spoken about suicide prevention and mental health across the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia. His original coursework on suicide prevention is taught in Washington state to dentists, pharmacists, and other professions. Josh has authored seven books and coauthored three journal papers, including one on the trajectory of the suicide loss survivor. He is also a stand-up comic, cook, and lives in Philadelphia. www.iampossibleproject.com.

Ted Bonar

@TedBonar

Dr. Ted Bonar is a clinical psychologist based in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to an active private practice, he is a professional trainer for both mental health professionals and general audiences. He has spoken at over 200 universities, continuing education events, and conferences across the country. He has been a featured speaker and subject matter expert for organizations including Brady United, the PsychArmor Institute, the American Association of Suicidology, and the National Council for Behavioral Health.