145: The Dark Truth about Men's Health with Dr. Zac Seidler (Movember)

You have been sold a lie, and if you believe it, you'll end up in a grave much sooner than you otherwise would've. It's not your fault you fell for this lie. I have too. In fact, almost every man has fallen for it.

The lie?

That in order to be a "real man," you have to tough everything out on your own. This lie has lethal consequences: it makes you feel unworthy of your own health, it forces you to avoid intimacy with other men, and it makes vulnerability impossible.

The result?

You fall into the deep abyss of loneliness… and don't know how to get out.

That's one of the reasons why men commit more than 75% of the suicides in America. And it's why I invited Dr. Zac Seidler, Global Director of Men's Health Research at Movember, onto today's show.

One of the problems with men's health is that disconnection and loneliness are discussed in a vague way. Well, Movember's recent report, "The Real Face of Men's Health" finally puts actual data to this vague description.

And the data trends are alarming: Isolation is the single biggest threat to your physical health. It will put you in a grave sooner.

The good news is, Dr. Zac shares a bunch of ways to stop living your life around this lie all men have been sold.

Here's what Dr. Zac and I discuss in today's show:

What's getting in the way of men having more meaningful connections - other than being physically healthy?

The insidious, borderline lethal effects of silence (and why a fear of rejection and vulnerability cause it)

How to change how you think about yourself to be happier, stronger, more vulnerable, and a better version of yourself

Other highlights from the show include:

Why the life expectancy gap between American men and women is actually going backwards for men (and how to prevent dying sooner than previous generations) (3:02)

The 2 biggest reasons behind the alarming suicide rates among men of all ages (worst part? it has only a small connection to complex mental health history) (6:04)

The potentially lethal consequences of "toughing it out" by delaying a doctor's appointment and putting your family or career before yourself (11:04)

Why your fear of boredom and silence will put you in your grave faster (and how pooping without your phone is the first step towards being comfortable with boredom and silence) (19:50)

The Harvard Longitudinal Survey, the longest running study on human health and happiness, has discovered one metric that's more important for living a long life than how much you exercise, your nutrition habits, and even whether or not you smoke (24:55)

The 5 areas of holistic health (and why most men only do a couple and completely neglect the others) (27:05)

How the silencing of your emotional needs leads you down a road of poor physical health (32:38)

The "WMQ" secret for not only sustaining male friendships but thriving and connecting with other men on a deeper level and actually living longer (52:23)

Listen now!

Guest bio:

Dr. Zac Seidler is a clinical psychologist, researcher and leading men's mental health expert. He currently holds dual roles as Global Director of Men's Health Research at Movember and Associate Professor with Orygen at the University of Melbourne. Zac has dedicated his academic and professional career towards further understanding men's mental health and masculinity. His ultimate goal is to help reduce the staggering rates of male suicide and domestic violence worldwide. Through his research, Zac has advocated for a change in the way we think about treating men's distress. As part of his research, he has uniquely focused on creating mental health services that account for masculinity. This has evolved into a fully funded project, Men in Mind, the world's first training program for mental health clinicians, to help them better understand and respond to men's distress and suicidality.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

1. Download Movember's Report, The Real Face of M