Men’s mental health concerns are hardly brought out in the open. How often do you see men expressing their mental health struggles? Comparatively, men seek much less mental health treatment than women do.
If you look inside your family, you won’t spot a single male member who has ever expressed their emotions. Instead, you will find most males always maintaining a stoic posture, abiding by the general law of “ Manning- Up.”
In fact, men have been socially conditioned to make their mental health struggles seem invisible. Do men hide their emotions and mental health struggles in the anticipation of discrimination? Let us try to understand the reasons behind it.
Are We Focusing Enough on Men’s Mental Health?
While the world is slowly unfolding to reveal how mental health conditions are at the crux of unsuccessful relationships and unhealthy lifestyles, the stigma surrounding men’s mental health is still a high hurdle to overcome.
Statistics show that around 40% of men do not open up about their mental health struggles when suicide and depression are still major reasons behind death amongst men.
There are other substrata in the society where male dominance indicates a deterioration in their mental health conditions. Prisons have more male members than female members. This observations can conclude how men’s emotional health never gets addressed in the right age and time.
What Stops Men from Reaching Out for Help?
While mental health issues result from chemical changes, many categorize them as personal issues, making it more difficult for people to recognize and seek help. Social conditioning is a detrimental factor, restraining men from reaching out for help.
Men have become the victim of the strong-weak binary and still continue to be so. The distorted concept of masculinity taught to young boys, have blocked all ways of expressing their emotions. Hence, in most cases, men are aloof from any mental health issues arising in them, subsequently leading to the worsening of conditions and the adoption of unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Is Toxic Masculinity Stigmatizing Men’s Mental Health?
We are all familiar with “toxic masculinity”. This phrase has often popped up on your screen when there has been a discussion on misogyny, homophobia, and aggressive domination.
But toxic masculinity is also a mental health stigma for men, in fact, masculinity has a negative impact on one’s behavior. The adherence to stereotypical male personality makes men suppress their emotions, as expressing them is seen as weakness.
The compulsion to fit into the traditional mold of an ideally strong man often heightens depressive symptoms. It remains unnoticed for long periods, increasing the chances of depression, anxiety, and stress. As a result, it often leads to substance abuse and addiction to alcohol to channel the suppressed emotions, which eventually comes out as aggression.
How Can We Stop the Stigma ?
Let’s start by normalizing men showing their emotions and seeking mental health services. With understanding comes acceptance, and with acceptance comes recovery.
Raise awareness around men’s mental and emotional health this June by focusing on specific issues men face in our society that deter them from seeking help. Encourage conversations and create a safe space for them to share their heart.
Related: Why Men Who Cry Are Not Weak, They Are Stronger Than The Rest
Takeaways
Let’s change the narrative of “Manning Up” by encouraging men to stand up for their mental health and seek help whenever required. Let’s support men’s mental health and raise awareness this month of June and around the year to enthuse men to feel emotionally resilient by allowing themselves to be vulnerable and more open.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
When is the men’s mental health month in 2024?
It is celebrated in June in the United States and in November in the United Kingdom.
What is the most common mental health issue in men?
Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness observed in men.
What is men’s mental health stigma?
Most men do not seek help as they see it as something that diminishes their masculinity.
Why men do not open up about their emotions?
The social pressure on men to always be stoic, strong, and masculine has made them hesitant to express, recognize, and recover from their emotions.
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