At some point in their lives, most men that are today suffering from mental health issues or substance abuse disorders, had most likely said to themselves, “it will never happen to me”. In fact most men don’t realize that developing mental health disorders and reverting to substance abuse can happen to anyone and the inclination toward such, occurs swiftly. Generally, most men are heedless of the dangers which lurk in substance abuse, addictions and the stack effect consequences which are life changing. Christopher Senekki has been advocating the importance of prevention in mental health for over two decades to encourage men to stay within what he calls “the prevention zone”.
The Prevention Zone
Christopher Senekki describes the prevention zone state as being within a frame of mind where an individual feels comfortable, confident, self-aware and compassionate. Being within the prevention zone there are endless possibilities to improve oneself, acknowledge and be aware of one’s weaknesses and at the same time being understanding of others. Self-awareness, however, is perhaps the key point, as it is this characteristic which keeps a person mindful of the “push” forces which can keep you within the prevention zone and the “pull” forces which can take you out of it. Being out of the prevention zone, means exposure to mental, neurological and substance abuse disorders, a dark place with an unpredictable declination of life quality. He emphasizes these forces are unique to each individual and that be applying his propagated method of managing prevention an individual can identify those forces and hence mitigate or eliminate them.
Push and Pull Forces
Christopher describes the “Pull” Forces as being an endless list of traumatic or negative occurrences, experiences and influences which can pull an individual out of the prevention zone. On the other hand, the “Push” forces are those elements which maintain our state of mind within the prevention zone. Push and pull forces can often fall within the same category. For Christopher the workplace is a classic example of this. Working within a healthy environment, we’re your given praise, take pleasure in your tasks and have the ability to develop your career, is a very strong push force, whilst working in a regimented environment where no one appreciates what you are doing is an equally vigorous pull force as it will inevitable destabilize your mental health. Such prominent pull forces can have a domino effect since disappointment in the workplace can lead to poor relationships, mental fatigue, lack of motivation and confidence and Christopher says that many of these issues can be avoided by creating further awareness to employers for the necessity to create the right environments for their employees.
Drawing Inspiration from his Struggles
One of the essential parts of Christopher Senekki’s involvement with men’s mental health is because he was able to learn from his struggles. He recounts that at one stage nothing mattered and what made it worse is that he was greatly affected by all the negative happenings around the world at that time. There didn’t seem to be a reason to stay in this world. His own experiences inspire him to keep persistent in growing awareness in men’s mental health and to drive home the message that all are responsible for the mental well being of others they interact with daily. Each action can have a profound affect on a person’s mental health and if people are actually aware what they can do to keep their fellow man within the “zone”, then by applying little effort they can prevent the worst for another human being.
Christopher Senekki Soldiering On
Christopher Senekki will continue on his path as a voice in men’s mental health awareness and specifically prevention. He endeavors to use his platforms and tools to advocate for those in need, and, at the same time, work towards changing the current mindsets surrounding prevention to what it should be. Christopher has been given the opportunity to publish his work on prevention and he is delighted that in the future the message will reach a wider audience.