“You get worn down. Everybody gets tired.”: Men’s Mental Health Meetups return Tuesday

One humid evening in July, more than a dozen men gathered for the monthly Men's Mental Health Meetups, and this time, they talked about communication and their children. At a previous meetup, they realized they were all more similar than they thought. During every meeting, they have spoken with honesty and heart, each seeking some kind of support or understanding of the challenges they were facing.

"Effective communication makes the relationship better."

And just like any relationship, things started slowly, with Jeremy Grissom - Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) Coordinator - asking some guided, easy questions to break the ice.

"We want them to know people care," he says.

Some of the men had been to previous sessions, and they helped others feel comfortable by their willingness to open. More and more, everyone grew more comfortable as they communicated more, and they began opening up more, even joking with each other about what they were struggling with.

"You get worn down. Everybody gets tired."

"This is your hour," Grissom told them several times throughout. "We get to talk here about whatever's on your mind: what makes you happy, what worries you, what you're struggling with, how you think others can face their struggles…this is about you."

The monthly meetings return on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the downstairs space at Churchill's on Cherry (557 Cherry Street). They give men a chance to take a break, reflect on their lives, seek advice, and realize that they are not alone in what they face. They provide a purposeful place where men can get together without any boundaries and with guards let down, all to support each other.

"We have pride. We're men."

"We are creating a safe space for men to talk about their challenges and mental health, and the response has overwhelmingly been thankful, supportive, and caring," says Grissom. "Men often do not focus on their own feelings or mental health due to societal expectations on what it means to be a man, but we want them to know that it's okay to not be okay."

You can find more information on the MMHM website and by following MMHM on Facebook.

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