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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 21 ,2 01 9 | 12 From Modern to Contemporary to Traditional. Product & Design That Complement Your Life. 348 Guelph St. Georgetown (Behind YoYo's, next to Cooper Standard) kabinetpro.com 905-702-7719 Authorized Dealer for We care about your hearing! Professional Arts Building 99 Sinclair Ave., Suite 210, Georgetown 905-873-6642 Serving the community of Halton Hills and surrounding areas since 1992 The Georgetown Tinnitus is a subjective experience where one hears a sound, ringing or noise when no external physical sound is present. Some call it "head noises", "ear ringing," or other similar things. WHAT CAUSES IT? There are many causes; indeed almost everything that can go wrong with the ear has Tinnitus associated with it as a symptom. Things as simple as wax against the eardrum to very serious items such as tumors on the 7th facial nerve can produce Tinnitus. Meniere's disease has Tinnitus associated with it. One of the most common causes of Tinnitus is exposure to excessively loud sounds such as shooting, chain saws, rock concerts, or other loud noises. For more information feel free to call… . . . Lend MeYour Ears COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUTTINNITUS - PART 1 WHAT IS IT? By Cory Soal R.H.A.D. November is almost over, and along with the domi- nance of all things pumpkin spice has come Movember and the chance to support initiatives focused on men's cancers and men's mental health and suicide preven- tion. There are a number of facts and stats that highlight the need for a focus on men's mental health, including the following: • Men are more likely than women to develop schizo- phrenia at a younger age. • Men have higher rates of addiction than women, which may be related to men- tal health problems. • Men are four times more likely than women to die by suicide. Also, men face some unique barriers when it comes to recognizing, talk- ing about, and seeking sup- port for mental health prob- lems, including: • Men may be socialized to be "tough," leading to them being reluctant or not know- ing how to talk about their feelings because they mis- takenly believe that it makes them weak. Expressions like "man up" and "boys don't cry" don't help on this front either. • Men may not be remind- ed as much about the impor- tance of self-care. It's typical for women to think about and be encouraged to care for themselves and have a balance between work and home, but not always so much for men. A friend once told me about how he was ridiculed for taking a yoga and meditation class - he was told he had to "hand in his man card" - whereas women are often praised. • Mental health problems may look and feel different for men. For example, men experiencing depression and anxiety are more likely to ex- perience anger and conflict and engage in risky beha- viour and/or substance use. The men themselves and others around them may not recognize these as possible signs of a mental health problem. • Men are generally less likely to seek help for mental health problems. While they may go to their doctors and talk about their headaches, shoulder pain, and upset stomachs, they are less likely to discuss any emotional symptoms that, coupled with the physical symptoms, might signal a mental health problem that needs atten- tion. What can you do if you are concerned about a man in your life? First of all, ask about it. Talk about changes you've noticed and listen without judging or jumping to fix the problems. Also dis- cuss next steps for seeking support - maybe a visit to a doctor or counsellor or try- ing a new coping strategy might help. And keep in touch - a phone call, text, or coffee meetup can go a long way to show your support. Melanie McGregor is the communications and ad- vancement specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch, which provides mental health/addiction community support and education. Visit www.hal- ton.cmha.ca for more in- formation and follow @cmhahalton on Twitter. OPINION IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO SUPPORT MOVEMBER STATS HIGHLIGHT THE NEED TO FOCUS MORE ON MEN'S CANCERS, WRITES MCGREGOR MELANIE MCGREGOR Column