An Inaugural Panic Attack
Before the birth of his daughter, Eli Weinstein never had a panic attack. Then one night at 2 am with his infant daughter in a nearby room, he found himself gasping for breath, sure he was going to die right that moment.
As a social worker, Eli’s seen his fair share of clients with anxiety. He’s developed tools for people to cope with panic attacks. Yet when he finally had a panic attack of his own, he felt helpless to its thrall. It made him feel ashamed. How could someone in the mental health industry struggle with mental health?
Parental Anxieties
The truth is, there’s a difference between how something looks on paper versus how it plays out in real life. He knew the tips and tricks for managing anxiety, but the rubber met the road after his daughter’s birth. Soon after she was born, he began to feel restless. He describes the feeling as an overwhelming sense of despair and worry for his child. Fellow parents might know the feeling—having a child completely changes how you view the world. Eli also had difficulty expressing these feelings. He watched his wife develop a natural bond with their daughter, but he was left struggling. Those painful feelings culminated the night of his panic attack.
Men’s Mental Health Issues
Through his work, Eli will sometimes see his clients exhibit behaviors he sees in himself. He sees many men who struggle with body image issues and anxiety—Particularly anxiety about how to be a good father and a good partner. They feel alone in their struggle, and a lot of times, they are. We live in a patriarchal society, but we don’t often talk about the issues that men face or toxic masculinity.
ELIvation
Just like everyone else, men deal with body image and mental health issues. They deal with anxiety over how to be a good partner or a good father. When Eli was going through his own struggles, he couldn’t find many resources or support for men’s issues. He saw this need and decided to fill it. He wants to be a resource for men who feel alone in their struggle. These days, Eli’s able to manage his anxiety successfully. He shares his tools for success through his organization, ELIvation.
Ripple Effect
ELIvation offers classes and seminars on public speaking, confidence-boosting, relationships & dating, and social skills. He also has a podcast where he talks about his experiences as a man in the therapy field called The Dude Therapist. He hopes to foster an environment where men feel comfortable discussing their problems without stigma. Though Eli’s work focuses on men’s mental health issues, he understands that a person’s individual mental health journey can impact everyone in their life.
Learn More and Connect with Eli
Eli Weinstein is a social work therapist and founder of ELIvation. This organization offers classes and seminars on public speaking, confidence-boosting, relationships & dating, and social skills. Follow Eli on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
