Why don’t
men speak about their mental health?
The stigma
surrounding men and their mental health has been a silent killer for far too
long now. Since birth, they are taught to be strong, become leaders and that expressing
emotions is a sign of weakness. This makes the concept of them seeking help
contrary to that of being strong and becoming unsuitable or unfit for the
so-called role as a provider. It is no surprise then that men often struggle to
talk about how they feel to each other or anyone in general. A stereotype?
Definitely. But it’s basis in fact is even more alarming. According to an
ETimes Lifestyle survey, 39% of people feel that men don’t feel comfortable
talking about issues related to mental health.
Majority of men in
our society go undiagnosed stating that they do not wish to ‘create a fuss’. On
the other hand, their friends refuse to validate them when they do speak up. As
a result, they are often bound, constricted and asked to ‘man up’ instead of
speaking out. Then, how do we even begin to give them a voice and make sure
that it is respected?
Here's how-
Redefine help-seeking as a show of strength:
- Reframe help-seeking
behavior as a sign of strength and not weakness. Let men know that seeking
support is a good thing and that it reflects how one is committed to helping or
changing themselves for the better.
Speak to someone you trust
Its common for you to
think you’re alone in your struggles against mental health. Chances are you’ve
got a whole support system there for you and people who see that something is
not right. A sympathetic ear is sometimes all that we need to feel better. So,
if you feel up to it, talk to someone you trust about how you feel.
Avoid minimizing and judgement
Making
someone’s problem seem small or judging them can never be healthy. When your
male counterparts open up to you, give them the safe space, encourage them to
speak their heart out and let them know they have support while they work
through their difficult feelings and feel better with time.
Why is it important to speak about men and their
mental health?
Men
and their mental well-being aren’t spoken about enough. We know that most women
have important men in their lives. Fathers, brothers, sons, husbands and more. Their
health and what they do matters to us. They’re why we need to have a
conversation about mental health.
Men
don’t always experience the same symptoms of a mental health disorder such as
depression. They often hide the symptoms of depression with anger and violence
or silence which is the only thing that can be heard from them making it more difficult
for their loved ones to provide them with the right kind of help and treatment.
As a result, unhealthy coping mechanisms such as smoking and drinking become a
habit which can lead to a number of related problems.
So
if you have men in your life you deeply care about, the simplest thing you can
do to help them is: start a conversation with them. Normalize the
phenomenon of asking them how they’re feeling and encourage them to speak to
you freely or get regular check-ups with a mental health professional.
To
end with, here are some small mental health reminders for all those males out
there:
·
Know that
it’s okay to show your emotions
· You do
not need to ‘man up’ all the time
·
There is
help out there
·
Its not
unmanly to struggle
·
Suffering
does not mean you are weak
·
You are
never alone
Men, you do not
have to suffer in silence. Let us help you with your journey of mental health. Download our app ‘The Able Mind’
or visit our website (https://theablemind.com/) to connect with a
counsellor. Lighten Your Load and move forward now…Let us show you how!
Sakshi Hiremath
Consultant Counselling Psychologist at The Able
Mind
