The Solo Slump - The Loneliness Epidemic Examined with a Mental Health Professional

The Solo Slump - The Loneliness Epidemic Examined with a Mental Health Professional

Solo travel is a flex. Eating alone is self-care. Being unbothered is the goal. Not needing anybody is strength. But somewhere along the way...we celebrated ourselves out of community. And now somebody rings the doorbell and we check the camera and pretend we’re not home. The U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness a public health epidemic. Studies show it carries health risks equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And 15% of American men now report having zero close friends. On this episode of Man Listen, Mark and licensed mental health counselor Heather K. sit down to talk about the loneliness epidemic of 2026, how we got here, what isolation is actually costing us, and what real human connection looks like in a world that keeps telling us we don’t need anybody. We were not built for isolation. We were built for each other. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Say Her Name - A Black Mental Health History Lesson

Man of us have never heard her name. Bebe Moore Campbell was a New York Times bestselling author, mental health advocate, and the reason July exists as a dedicated month for Black mental health awareness. She fought to bring this conversation into our community before most people thought we needed it — and in 2008, Congress named a month after her. On this episode of Man Listen, we say her name. We talk about who she was, what she built, and why her legacy matters for every Black person who has ever struggled in silence. And then we stop and check in. Because we are deep into 2026 and it’s time to ask the question this show exists to ask — how are you actually doing? Not the highlight reel answer. The real one. Mark gets honest about what he’s carrying right now. And then asks you the same. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Mental Health Fuel — How the Experts Stay Positive in a Negative World

We talk a lot about what drains us. Today we talk about what fills us back up. Mental health fuel — the real, research-backed practices that clinical psychologists say can reliably boost your mood, reduce stress, and help you stay positive in a world that keeps trying to pull you under. On this episode of Man Listen, we go to the experts — UCLA Health psychologist Dr. Valentina Ogaryan and Georgetown psychologist Dr. Andrea Bonior — and break down seven tools that are free, accessible, and backed by data. Not motivational fluff. Real fuel. Because you cannot pour from an empty tank. And it's time to fill yours back up. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Are You A Part of The Emotional Renaissance?

We've spent a lot of time lately talking about the weight Black men carry. Today we talk about what's happening when they start to put some of it down. Licensed therapist and mental health advocate Kier Gaines — featured in Essence this week — calls it an emotional renaissance. More Black men are having honest conversations about what they feel. More are learning that strength isn't enduring pain in silence — it's having the courage to challenge why you're carrying so much of it in the first place. On this episode of Man Listen, we sit with that shift. What does it mean? What does healing actually look like beyond the therapist's office? And what does it mean that you're already here — listening — when the world told you to stay quiet? Because healing isn't a destination. And you're already in the renaissance. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

We Need You Here — The Disturbing Rise of Young Black Male Suicide Rates

For the first time since the government began tracking this data, young Black men are now dying by suicide at a higher rate than young white men. The Black suicide death rate climbed 53% in just one decade — ten times faster than the rate for white Americans. This isn't an old statistic. This is happening right now. On this episode of Man Listen, we sit with this data honestly — why it's happening, what the silence has cost us, and what we do about it starting today. We also talk directly to you about the young Black man in your life — your son, your nephew, your little brother, the kid down the street — and why checking on him, even when he acts like he doesn't want it, might be the most important thing you do this week. Because we need him here. We need all of them here. We need YOU here! This episode discusses suicide. If you need support, call or text 988 anytime. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].