MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA) — June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. This month, a Central Illinois health professional want to make sure you know the severity of the issue.

The CDC found in 2023, nearly 80% of suicides were committed by men. In 2022, more than 39,000 men died because of it.

A senior therapist in Mahomet said the stigma surrounding men’s mental health contributes to a high number of deaths, and he’s stressing the importance of getting help when dealing with issues.

“The more we push those things down, the more they’re gonna come out in other ways. So those are normal experiences but the more that they pile up, the more stress, depression and anxiety that we experience,” RJ Mcnicholl from The Rock Counseling Group said. “And the world still makes it sometimes difficult for us to talk about those things. So checking in with each other and understanding that some of those things are normal is extremely important.”

He said men should start doing what he calls “The three L’s.” Listening, learning, and living. With each other.