Happy Monday!

Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day — created to raise global awareness about the abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older adults. It serves as a call to action for communities to ensure older people are treated with respect, dignity, and safety.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was launched in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization, and was officially adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

Supporters around the globe wear purple on June 15 to stand in solidarity against elder abuse and neglect

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A new lawsuit alleges that DCH Regional Medical Center in Alabama turned away 41-year-old Matthew Taylor — a man with a documented history of severe mental illness brought in by family during an acute psychiatric crisis — without proper evaluation or stabilization, and that hospital staff continued to observe him displaying signs of severe distress on hospital grounds for hours afterward without summoning crisis intervention or law enforcement.

Shortly after being turned away, Taylor allegedly obtained a firearm and fatally shot a beloved nurse and mother in the hospital parking lot. This tragedy represents a failure on every level — a nurse lost her life, a man in crisis received no real help, and a family is shattered.

Read More: Man Accused in Fatal DCH Nurse Shooting Sues Hospital, Claims Mental Crisis Was Ignored (ABC 33/40)

Women account for roughly 60% of mental health appointments, and among callers to crisis lines, a third of male callers were seeking crisis intervention — compared to just 10% of female callers — revealing a painful truth: men are waiting until things become an emergency before reaching out.

Experts say male depression often hides in plain sight, showing up as anger, irritability, overworking, or withdrawal rather than sadness — making it harder to recognize and far too easy to ignore until the pressure explodes. Let’s all acknowledge that asking for help is not a sign of weakness — it is a sign of courage.

Read More: Why Many Men Still Struggle to Ask For Help With Mental Health (Florida Today)

Feeling stressed by a tough challenge? Psychologist Adam Grant says the real problem usually isn’t that something is hard—it’s that it’s uncertain. Drawing on decades of research involving hundreds of studies, he explains that people tend to feel more anxious when they don’t know what’s expected or what will happen next than when they’re faced with a clear but demanding task. 

The takeaway is surprisingly simple: breaking big, vague problems into specific next steps can reduce stress and make even difficult goals feel more manageable.

Read More: Psychologist Adam Grant: Uncertainty Is More Stressful Than Difficulty (Inc.)

MYTH: Seeking counseling is a sign that something is wrong with me. 

FACT: Caring for your mental health by attending therapy or counseling is something everyone can benefit from. The goal of having regular sessions with a counselor or therapist is not to “fix” you, it is to provide support and tools. Counseling can help you define a path for achieving personal goals, find confidence and comfort within, and clear your mind, among many other things. 

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Thanks, and Be Well.

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