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Every November, people around the world rally to raise awareness about men’s physical and mental health by joining a global movement known as ‘Movember’.
The caring campaign involves men growing their moustaches throughout the month to draw attention to prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental illness and suicide prevention.
Some start fundraisers in support, while others share their experiences such as Bahrain resident Dinesh Arora, who has struggled mentally.
“I was down and out, suffering, unable to cope with life, disoriented, disillusioned and unpredictable,” said the 49-year-old Indian father-of-two, who is a general manager of an electronics company.
“The first signs that something was wrong dawned on me in 2017,” said the resident of Jurdab.
“However, it still didn’t ring any alarms as the disorder was sporadic. It was only in the last few months that I was overwhelmed and consumed.”
Dinesh was a perfectionist, constantly needing to put everything in order - from his personal to professional life.
“It got excessively overt and started affecting me in multiple ways,” he explained. “I did things multiple times, to the extent that I’d only be satisfied when I would complete steps to tasks 10 times when all it needed was to be done once. I was mentally exhausted.”
He was then referred to Dr Abdul Karim Mustafa, a consultant psychiatrist at Serene Psychiatry Hospital Bahrain, who diagnosed him with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Dr Abdul Karim believes ‘it’s important to raise awareness about the health problems facing men who commonly forget themselves’ and applauds Dinesh for sharing his story to inspire others.
“He is my hero who helped me,” said Dinesh. “I endured paradoxical therapy and was put under medication and gradually things changed and now the disorder has subsided. I am still a perfectionist, however, the obsession of repeated checks and my mind being continuously occupied has changed.”
Dinesh thanks his doctor as well as his family and close friends for their unwavering support.
“Mental illness is still that elephant in the room that remains a taboo,” he added. “Men are not supposed to cry or that they should be strong are clichés that are deeply ingrained in our society. It is abhorrent for men to show any kind of weakness or reveal emotional distress.
“I would like to call upon people who are suffering to come forward and discuss their problems with healthcare experts, opt for counselling as well as treatment. I also want to encourage friends and family members to support others in seeking the help they need and talking about mental illnesses.
“Never allow negative thoughts to cloud your mind.
“Visit a doctor before you start getting those suicidal underpinnings.”
The World Health Organisation estimates that 510,000 men commit suicide globally each year.
The impact of prostate cancer is also substantial, which is why Bahrain Health Matters has been running a month-long campaign.
“It is the second most diagnosed malignancy and the fifth most common cause of cancer-related mortality in men,” said Jubran Abdulrahman, managing director of Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE).
“The campaign will seek to engage the taboos around prostate cancer with an understanding of the cultural sensitivities.”
A seminal study conducted by RCSI Bahrain in 2021 concluded that Bahrain has one of the highest rates of prostate cancer per capita in the Middle East when compared with neighbouring countries.
Bahrainhealthmatters.com will be carrying informative articles, videos and technical papers relating to the disease and the campaign will end with a free-to-attend prostate cancer awareness briefing on November 29 at the Wyndham Grand Manama Hotel.
The session will focus on all aspects of prostate cancer, including the risk factors, symptoms, screening and the stigma associated with it. It is being held in partnership with Bahrain Cancer Society, Healthcapita Bahrain with the support of its partners Gulf Daily News and Wyndham Grand Manama.
Movember fact file
It started in 2003 by Australians Travis Garone and Luke Slattery.
The Movember Foundation has supported more than 1,250 projects so far.
Thirty Mo Bros were the pioneers behind the No-Shave-November.
By 2004, there were 450 Mo Bros in Australia, the UK, and Spain.
The campaign then travelled to New Zealand, the US, and Canada, raising enormous awareness of men’s health issues and $21.5 million (AUD) to sponsor more than 770 men’s health projects.
