“How to Be OK” addresses the mental health crisis among men that demands more attention
TAHOE CITY, Calif. — This Father’s Day, Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur, startup advisor, investor, filmmaker, and father of two, Mark Gogolewski, wants dads struggling with addiction and mental health crises to know that there is a path out of their current problems.
In his new book, “How to Be OK (When You’re Supposed to Be OK But You’re Not),” Gogolewski writes about his personal struggle to overcome addiction, offering reflections about how men experience these problems differently.
“Too many fathers are struggling silently, and their families are paying the price,” he said. “If we learn how to address these issues publicly, we can take the shame out of them and help these men get the help they need to be the fathers they want to be.”
In the book, available now in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle formats on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, Gogolewski writes about how unresolved issues with his father helped spur his addiction, and how he failed his own sons during that time, as well as how he overcame that and worked to repair his relationships.
Research shows that men struggle more with addiction and untreated mental illness. According to recent studies, men are twice as likely to binge drink as women and three times as likely to die from alcohol-related issues.
“Father’s Day is supposed to be a day for celebrating the fathers in our lives, but too many of them aren’t getting the help they need,” Gogolewski added. “I hope this year we can all check in on the fathers in our lives and make sure that they’re doing OK, and if not, help them learn how to be OK.”
To learn more about “How to Be OK,” visit markgogolewski.com.