Men and Divorce: Surviving, Thriving and Starting Over (#ElevateTheConvo)

Link to Twitter Chat Summary: https://wakelet.com/wake/c270ea7b-3e3e-4512-8a99-0d40d099f2c1

When: June 21st at 5PM PT/6PM MT/7PM CT and 8PM ET

Where: Twitter #ElevateTheConvo

What: 1-hour conversation. Just follow the #ElevateTheConvo hashtag on Twitter as our panelists talk about how men cope with divorce. Feel free to join in the conversation.

Who: All those interested in listening to or participating in a conversation about men and divorce. You or someone you care about may be going through the transition of separation and divorce — join us to get tips from experts and people who have “been there.”

Overview

Divorce significantly impacts well-being on all levels — biological, psychological, social and spiritual (Felix, et al, 2013). In the spirit of Men’s Health Month an in the wake of Anthony Bourdain’s suicide this month’s Twitter Chat will focus on how men live through the often difficult transition of separation and divorce. Why? According to research published in the American Journal of Men’s Health, divorce increases the rate of early mortality by up to 250 percent resulting from increased hypertension, substance use, depression and more. In fact, mounting evidence suggests that the consequences of divorce on men are much higher than they are for women. For instance, for every divorced woman that dies by suicide, over nine divorced men killed themselves (Kposowa, 2003).

Join us as we engage a diverse panel in this conversation of “surviving, thriving and starting over” through the process of divorce and beyond. Our panel includes several men with lived experience with divorce who now support other men going through this life transition. Other panelists represent mental health and divorce support organizations equipped to share current research and best practices.

References:

Felix, D., Robinson, D. & Jarzynka, K. (2013). The influence of divorce on men's health. American Journal of Men's Health,10(1). DOI: 10.1016/j.jomh.2012.09.002

Kposowa, A. (2003). Divorce and suicide risk. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 57:993

Questions We Will Discuss

Q1: Why are you passionate about the topic of men surviving divorce? Do you have a story to share about your own resilience through this transition or stories about others that you have helped? What have been your personal lessons learned?

Q2: Why might men who are going through separation and divorce vulnerable to depression, anxiety and even suicidal thoughts?

Q3: What does the research say about men and divorce? What increases risk? What promotes resilience?

Q4: Moving forward, what can we put in place to help men with this transition? What systems or "safety nets" need to be part of the support?

Featured Panelists

Brett “Zach” Zachman

@BeMenBrothers

Brett (Zach) Zachman is the founder of BeMen. BeMen is a “call to action,” an acronym “The Brotherhood of Extraordinary Men,” and a non-profit organization focused on male wellness. In 2003, he walked into the life experience of divorce and watched seven of his closest male friends do the same. Thus began his journey of self-discovery and personal development: 20 weeks with Dr. Bruce Fisher’s ReBuilding Seminars (as student and volunteer), personal and family counseling, relationship courses, meeting hundreds of divorcees, reading books and researching. Zach turned pain into purpose; providing his personal testimony to ManTherapy (www.mantherapy.com) the Mental Health Symposium of Denver in a panel discussion with former 1st Lady of Colorado Jeannie Ritter, and the US Dept of Health in Washington DC. Currently, he is a single, divorced father of two teenage sons (ages 18 and 16), submitting author for the Men’s Anthology “Guts, Grit, and The Grind”, developing “The Masculine Movement” workshop series, and authoring “Divorce Is The Beginning: A Survival Guide For Men."

Doug French

@MrDougFrench

DOUG FRENCH is a writer, speaker, and single dad who began blogging as Laid-Off Dad in 2003 and now writes and cartoons at mrdougfrench.com. He has been profiled in or written for several magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Slate, The Huffington Post, Babble, and Parents. He is a contributor to Michigan Public Radio and frequently speaks at conferences such as BlogHer, Mom 2.0, and BlissDom about fatherhood, parenting, and content marketing. He and his two sons live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter @mrdougfrench

Doug Zeigler

@scotchfulyyours

Doug is a husband and a father of four in a blended family. A writer who has been published on sites like Huffington Post and Good Men Project, he now writes for his own sanity at ScotchfullyYours. In his rare spare moments, he enjoys good books and even better whisky, exploring all manner of new experiences with his wife, and being a complete goofball with his kids. He also possesses a vast knowledge of '80s music that he hopes will pay off big at some random trivia night.

The Divorce Tool Box

@DivorceToolBox

In the legal arena, decisions about divorce are made at various intervals, often with weeks or months between each decision, not allowing individuals to see the “big picture” that’s developing. Divorce Tool Box helps individuals to become knowledgeable toward making life-altering decisions within a specified time period for a more accurate representation of divorce as decisions are made in an ongoing sequential process without interruptions. Their web-based videos at www.DivorceToolBox.com offer extensive education concerning self-care, financial issues regarding both pre and post-divorce budget planning, exploration of child custody, visitation, childhood maturation and co-parenting. Upon completion, the individual makes decisions to incorporate into the provided divorce action plan template in order to move forward into the legal arena or filing pro-se prepared. divorcetoolbox.com

Mental Health America

@MentalHealthAm 

Mental Health America (MHA) is one of the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans. Driven by a commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, they are guided by the Before Stage 4 (B4Stage4) philosophy. This philosophy holds that mental health conditions should be treated long before they reach the most critical and life-threatening points. They begin with prevention, identify symptoms, and develop a plan of action to reverse and hopefully stop the progression. MHA is committed to addressing mental health Before Stage 4.

Stuart Motola

@StuartMotola

Stuart Motola is a master coach, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and workshop facilitator who has shared his expertise throughout the world. Drawing on his experience of coaching clients in challenged relationships and his own 20-year marriage, Stuart delivers powerful results to his clients - on how to grow stronger when relationship challenges arise. Stuart is the author of a new book "Fixing You is Killing Me."

www.StuartMotola.com

Shawn Henfling

@ShawnHenfling

Shawn is a writer, professional photographer, MSW student at Edinboro University, Pop Ice addict and passionate mental health advocate. He was a cast member for This Is My Brave in Philadelphia, and has had his writings featured on Yahoo, The Good Men Project, The Mighty and more. He's also a stepdad to two "grown and flown" kids and a current parent to two canines as well as a 135 pound English Mastiff foster who carries exercise weights around the house because she thinks they're her toys and believes fervently in her ability to fit onto laps of any size.

Men's Health Network

@MensHlthNetwork

Men's Health Network (MHN) is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to reach men, boys, and their families where they live, work, play, and pray with health awareness and disease prevention messages and tools, screening programs, educational materials, advocacy opportunities, and patient navigation.