Disruptive Women and the White House Collaborate to Improve Men’s Health

During an afternoon’s worth of inspiring stories crystalizing the need to get men more engaged in their health, one speaker perhaps shared the day’s most powerful moment, speaking from a podium at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, among an audience of esteemed guests, advocates and stakeholders.
John Kevin Hines recalled a day in San Francisco when he felt that he could no longer go on. Seeking just some simple positive interactions with other members of his community – an offer of encouragement or support – he instead got silence. Soon after, he found himself at the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, where, amidst his feelings of hopelessness, he hurled himself off the side. He said, upon his descent towards the water, he immediately regretted the decision; he had made a mistake.
He wanted to live.
Hines, who is bipolar and still faces regular suicidal thoughts, miraculously survived the fall, and he now uses his voice to educate about the reality of mental illness, the importance of talking honestly about it and the possibility of recovery. His story echoed the event’s sentiment that men who ignore their health are putting their lives, and possibly the health of their families and loved ones, at risk.
“Today, I travel the globe spreading a message of hope,” Hines said. “Why? Because we know it helps people heal.”
Friday’s White House Dialogue on Men’s Health was convened by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, in collaboration with the ...

Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - January 12, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Access Advocacy Men's Health Source Type: blogs