Men's Mental Health - Let's Stop the Stigma
In this article, I am going to discuss some of the barriers preventing men from reaching out for mental health and wellbeing support.
Men’s mental health is surrounded by outdated beliefs, views, and unrealistic expectations.
We live in a society that demands men be strong, courageous, and self-reliant. Leading to the suppression of their emotions and further impacting their mental health.
Men’s mental health still has so much stigma surrounding it, but it’s slowly gaining more attention and awareness, however, it is still a massive issue and more needs to be done.
The statistics show men are twice as likely to die by suicide than women. Despite these staggering figures, men are less likely to seek professional help, or even admit they are suffering with their mental health.
Traditionally, men are expected to be strong, stoic, and the man of the house, not displaying any vulnerability or emotional expression, needless to say, discouraged from seeking help, which implies the harsh reality of such societal implications, even as far as to mention family and friends.
Men are often expected to suppress their emotions at the risk of their mental health declining. It is deemed by society as weak and told to “manup”.
With this stigma attached, men are reluctant to seek out professional help, resulting in unhealthy coping mechanisms, addictions, self-harm and the worst being suicide.
Young men are taught certain parts of their personalities are unacceptable, such as expressing an array of feelings, crying, or being vulnerable.
What Are Some Of The Barriers Preventing Men from Seeking Mental Health Support?
There are a variety of reasons why men do not seek out mental health support or even visit their GP to access services and help.
- Societal perceptions leading to feelings of shame, fear, anger, anxiety, depression and isolation to name a few. Outdated beliefs and views of how a man “should be” are incredibly harmful and this needs to change
- Embarrassment – Often men believe showing emotions is a weakness
- Lack of awareness – because men are expected to be a certain way, their awareness around emotions and feelings and expressing themselves
- Little knowledge of mental health and how it presents itself
- Lack of support services for men
I specialise in helping men find their voice, deep dive into who they are, express their emotions, and be heard without judgment. Encouraging men to show up for themselves and understand all parts of who they are.
Men’s mental health figures
In December 2020, the mental health charity Mind released a report called Get it Off your Chest: Men’s Mental Health 10 years on. The report looks at challenges men face with their mental health, and the differences 10 years on. Some of the findings from the report are:
- One in ten men experienced suicidal thoughts when feeling worried
- Over a third of men (37%) say social media has a negative impact on how they feel
- Two in five men (43%) admit to regularly feeling worried or low
- Men are more likely to drink alone, go to the pub and take recreational drugs to relax when feeling worried or low
Despite these figures, there were also some positives from the report:
- Men are three times more likely to see a therapist when they feel worried or low
- Men are more likely to seek support if it is made available online and anonymity is guaranteed
- Men would seek support if there is flexibility in the times of day support is available
Mental Health Tips for Men
- Becoming aware of your emotions – easier said than done, I know. It can feel very alien to begin creating some awareness around emotions. I suggest keeping a journal of your day, good things and bad – This will help you to understand your thought processes, and how you react, respond, and behave in situations. Thinking about the emotions that come up for you. If you want to look at the feelings wheel to help you understand your emotions
- Communication – think about who’s in your inner circle, family, friends? Or even speaking to a therapist about what is going on for you. Expressing needs and wants relieves anxiety, stress, and overwhelm
- Self-care – creating a healthy routine that evokes happy chemicals of serotonin and endorphins. It may be walking in nature, going to the gym, catching up with friends, or engaging in your favourite hobbies. Think about what makes you feel good
- Avoiding alcohol and illicit drugs which add to the decline of our mental health
Reach out if you are struggling
If you are struggling and feel like you are suffocating in the darkness, please remember, you are not alone, you are not weak and you are not a burden.
Some support groups for men:
Andys Man Club – Located around the UK
Directions for Men – Around Manchester and surrounding areas
Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity – Supporting men working in the construction industry
The Men’s Shed – Thursday evenings. 6-8pm. Bullion Hall Chester-le-Street, County Durham
Men’s Group – Online support group
Men’s Shed – A place to enjoy male company and space to practice practical hobbies
Man Health – Weekly peer support group across the North East of the UK
ManKind Project – UK and Ireland – Online support group
Men Matter Scotland – A support network for men in Scotland