I struggle with depression and mental health decline. I very likely have ADHD, but my depression is more deeply rooted than that. For reasons I won’t get into, my mental health and self-esteem have long been tied to my past. There’s a chance I may even deal with CPTSD or complex PTSD, a mental health condition that’s sustained over prolonged periods, usually due to repeated trauma, domestic violence, or abuse from someone you trust.

Why am I talking about all of this? While May is Mental Health Awareness Month, June is actually National PTSD Awareness Month. I suppose you could argue they are very similar, but either way, it’s a prescient time to talk about the subject. It’s also important to understand that men typically resist talking about not just mental health but problems they are facing.

We should talk about mental health more often

Source: Gadiel Lazcano / Unsplash

But it’s very important to talk about mental health and even more important to seek help when you’re struggling. While I’m not a doctor, uniquely qualified to say this, I do have first-hand experience. Sinking into a depressive episode is extremely taxing and exhausting. The world around you seems to go dark, it seems as if no one cares, and as if life is hopeless.

It’s so easy to go lie down, in the dark, alone, and block out everything. Turning off your interactions with the outside world, especially with those you care about, is dangerous. That’s when you need support the most. However, most people avoid discussing these issues. The internalized pain. The despair. The weight of all. It’s all yours to bear and yours alone — except that’s not entirely true.

The community has your back

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Cigars, in general, are a great equalizer and an excellent social activity. Even if the people you’d spend time around seem brazen or brash from the outside, so many are open to helping one another, even just through raw conversations. I’ve never met a more welcoming, more supportive community. Maybe not so much on X (Twitter) — slight jest there, maybe, possibly — but as a community in general, cigar-enthusiasts are always willing to share, support and guide.

That’s also the reason why we see some great causes in the space. The League of Fat Bastards is an excellent example. They make some great cigars, but also they’re focused on improving mental health awareness for men. Cigars for Warriors are about donating cigars, and sending support to our active troops. The entire industry has a history of substantive charitable contributions, which can really make a difference.

So, what’s the point here?

Source: Vinicius Low / Unsplash

The point is just to start talking about it more. That’s all. That’s mostly what building awareness is. It’s to normalize the experience, eliminate stigmas, and tell those folks who are struggling it’s totally okay to talk about it all and to seek out support and guidance.

I’m of the mind that this world should be predicated on love, not hate. Call me a fool. Call me a hippie. But I’ve been there deep in the mental solitude, struggling, gasping for air and I wouldn’t wish that on even my worst enemy. It’s time we found a way to be more compassionate about mental health issues and we found a much better way to deal with the problem — rather than forcing each other to cope alone.

At the very least, if you’re out there and you’re struggling, find me. I’m willing to talk about it. If you’re fortunate and you don’t struggle with these issues, maybe help a brother or sister of the leaf out when you have a chance?

Okay, I’ve said my piece. Now I’m going to light up. Stay smoky y’all.

The post June is PTSD awareness month, and that’s important for all of us appeared first on The BS Lounge.

But LOFB, as it’s also known, has an incredible message and mission behind it. Sure, they make some damn good cigars, but they’re also made for a cause. LOFB is fighting the social prejudice and modern stigmas behind men’s mental health. It’s okay to not be okay. And as someone who struggles with depression, it’s a fucking hell of a mission to get behind.

To understand why this is a big deal, especially in the world of cigars, we have to back up a little. We have to talk about some things no one really wants to. Toxic masculinity and mental health.

Toxic masculinity and mental health

Source: Gadiel Lazcano / Unsplash

About one in every six adults will struggle with depression at some point in their life. Annually, it affects nearly 16 million American adults. But perhaps more alarming is that anyone can get depression. It doesn’t matter who you are, it can affect everyone, and it can strike at any age, any time, and disorient any personality type or disposition.

A common misconception is that you have to be at a low point in your life, sad, or experiencing trauma to go through depression. That’s not true at all. As a matter of fact, many people who struggle with depression seem happy or fulfilled, and you’d never know unless they opened up about it. Which brings us to the topic of toxic masculinity.

Boys and men are taught at an early age to bottle up emotions, bottle up their mental disposition, and never talk about it. Not just by their family, friends, or peers, but by society, in general. It’s not considered good to see males cry or exhibit strong emotions other than anger. Personally, I can recall hundreds, if not thousands, of times I was told to “suck it up,” or “get over it” and “just be happy.” That’s because most people don’t like to see others upset, down, or depressed, and the easiest way to fix that problem is to ignore it. If you make it visible, and make it known that you’re struggling, that challenges other people’s worldviews, and frankly, it puts more on their plate — and we all know most people don’t like dealing with problems other than their own.

Medicine is not always the answer. Neither is therapy. Both of these things can work for some, and both of them applied together can help in strides — for some. But one thing is clear. Bottling it all up and pretending like you’re okay, day after day, does more damage. It does more harm than good. And that’s precisely what the League of Fat Bastards stands for. Putting an end to bottling those experiences and that pain.

Fighting the stigmas of men’s mental health and awareness

Source: Nel Ranoko / Unsplash

It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to ask for help or to talk about what you’re experiencing, thinking and going through. I’d argue that’s one of the few ways to help alleviate some of the silent mental pain you experience when you’re depressed. Just knowing that others care, that others give a shit about you, well, it means the world.

Society needs to move away from the stigmas it places on mental health, not just for men, but for everyone. Unfortunately, we have to take baby steps, and it won’t happen overnight. We need heroes, and we need supporters to stand behind the cause, to push it forward, and to help eliminate those stigmas and social prejudices.

How to fight the good fight with League of Fat Bastards stogies

Source: League of Fat Bastards (LOFB)

As the brand puts it, “we all have our dark days,” but instead of bottling it all up, or opening a bottle, there are much better outlets. We can bond over cigars, hash it out over group discussions, and “chew the fat.” In other words, open up and get it all out.

LOFB is all about breaking down barriers, changing social stigmas, smashing the Mask of Masculinity and finding new ways for men to “chew the fat.”

To make a tangible impact, LOFB donates 40% of net profits from the sale of its cigars, directly applying that allocation to men’s mental health initiatives, including charities. They call it their “40% giveback promise,” which is equal parts impressive and excellent. Every time you purchase an LOFB cigar, you are also contributing to that mission. Every time you smoke an LOFB cigar, you are contributing to that mission.

And here’s the thing. Even if you don’t struggle with depression now, or haven’t in your lifetime, that doesn’t mean you won’t eventually. Even if you never do, that doesn’t mean some of your friends and family won’t go through it. That doesn’t mean you don’t know people going through it this very moment. Every one in six adults struggles with depression in their lifetime. Many of those numbers, those statistics, are men, and they’re men in need.

If you register and sign up on the site, you’ll also be invited to join a digital community focused on the same principles and mission as the brand — that’s all via WhatsApp. There are some pretty deep convos, mental health check-ins, cigar recommendations, and much more. You can also connect with the brand’s founder, Adam Levine. No, not the singer.

To join the fight against the stigmas of mental health, if you haven’t already, go check out LOFB. They’re doing some pretty cool shit.

Oh, and they also recently launched the Serie-O, a bangin, bold, and full-bodied smoke. It features a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Dominican binder and Nicaraguan fillers, from Condega and Jalapa. Flavor notes are cherry, cocoa, earth, and spices. It sounds delicious. I haven’t had one yet, but I will real soon.

The post Fighting the stigma of men’s mental health with the League of Fat Bastards appeared first on The BS Lounge.