Breaking The Stigma: Men’s Mental Health

Although anyone can experience a mental health concern, men are less likely than women to seek mental health care. You may think that this means men don’t have frequent mental health issues, but that is not the case. For example, we also know that men are four times more likely than women to die by suicide. So, men struggle with their mental health too, but most times this is not talked about. Why is this the case? Why aren’t men talking about their mental health when they need the care? One main reason is the stigma in our society against men seeking and discussing mental health care.

Stigma is like a shameful stain on a white shirt. Especially when directed at you, it can feel embarrassing and uncomfortable. Society has created myths and impossible expectations of men that have allowed stigma to flourish. You may have heard the myths, “men don’t cry” or that “men are mentally stronger than women”. Then there’s the expectations that men are told not to break, such as, “men should be stoic and not show their emotions so easily” or “men have to be assertive, in control”. Some cultures have their own specific expectations for men too. Being part of a Hispanic family, I have heard the idea of “machismo” which highly stresses that a man must be masculine, dominant, aggressive, and suppress his emotions.

All these myths and expectations placed on the men of our society have greatly contributed to the lack of men talking openly about their mental health and why we see less men seeking out mental health care. Most unfortunate is that even when men are in desperate need for support during a divorce, death of a loved one, being a single parent, or in depression, they are taught to suppress their emotions, be strong, and “man up”. This bottling up of emotions can lead to even more mental health issues later on.

In short, stigma is like an enemy coming to taunt you once you open up about the possibility of going to see a therapist about your concerns. It makes you never want to open up about that possibility again. That is why, I hope to encourage us all to begin breaking the stigma against men talking about and seeking mental health care. In the next blog, I will provide some more in depth tips on how we can support the men in our lives to feel comfortable talking about their mental health! In the meantime, let’s begin by becoming aware and shutting down myths or unrealistic expectations of men we may hear in daily conversation. “Men don’t cry? Of course they do, they are human too!”.

-Undergraduate intern, Jade Umanzor

*Interested in Men’s Mental Health? Clinical therapists, Keith Munson and Knute Sands are currently accepting new clients! :)

Reference: Why Don’t Men Talk About Their Mental Health?