Men’s Mental Health is Important Too

We live in a world where men are conditioned not to express their emotions and show vulnerability. Emotions must be buried and suppressed, otherwise they are labeled as weak and overly sensitive. I’m not a man, but I have some idea of the difficulty men face in being vulnerable due to conversations with men in my life and also in understanding what it’s like to be a victim of the patriarchy. This article will explore ways in which men are impacted by this phenomenon, as well as ways to break free from it.

In terms of statistics, 77% of men have common mental health symptoms, but 40% have never spoken to anyone about their mental health. 20% of men have a diagnosable mental health condition, and 3/4 of completed suicides are by men (although there are more suicide attempts by women). About 6/10 men have experienced at least one trauma in their lives but struggle to talk about it. 

Men can struggle with mental health issues. Often when a man is going through depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or more, he might shut himself off from the world, going through his experiences alone to avoid appearing weak and burdening others. This ends up increasing his suffering and distress, where the pain increases like a pressure cooker and can burst, expressing itself in angry outbursts and mental breakdowns. This is not healthy for the man, or others around him. Men are often scared to seek help, to seek a therapist and open up to others because they might feel weak or fear judgment. Often seeking help can feel like giving up, like you’re not strong anymore and that you might end up feeling worse if you talk about it. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Bottling up emotions can be worse than allowing the emotions to spill out. Because when emotions spill out, they are being released and even if it might cause discomfort in the moment, that discomfort is necessary in letting go. Holding in emotions can lead to mental and physical health issues because the emotions have nowhere to go, so they find a home in your body. 

Men can also be highly sensitive. In conversations with men in my life who identified as highly sensitive, I learned that the prevalence of highly sensitive men is actually higher than I had envisioned, mainly due to the fact that many highly sensitive men hide their sensitivity and bury it within so that no one can see their vulnerability. The liberated man is one who has broken free from the pressures and expectations placed on him by society, and can express himself freely as a highly sensitive person. Accepting oneself as a highly sensitive person is the key to thriving in this world. Fully accepting oneself leads to success in all capacities of life. Knowing that yes, you are sensitive but no, it’s not a bad thing, can be seen as a strength and allows richer experiences and be beneficial in one’s growth. Once you are accepting of your sensitivity, you can work with it to increase the strengths and decrease the pain points of it. 

Men are suffering due to pressures to be strong and keep it together for everyone else. But they don’t have to anymore. They are allowed to ask for help, cry (which really eases emotions), express how they feel, and be weak sometimes. They don’t have to be strong anymore. We are paving the way for a new world where both men and women are liberated and feel safe to be themselves.