Men in our society are considered to be invincible beings who need to be on top of the game all the time. They are expected to be problem solvers, providers, self-reliant beings, supporters of families and mentally sorted enough to take difficult life decisions.

From evolution until now, human-beings are referred to as “man”kind. Can you imagine the kind of pressure that puts on a man? Not only does he have to carry the weight of being a man on his head, but he is also expected to be faultless. Crying is for the weak! This saying is drilled into the minds of a male child from a very young age.

Men have feelings too and they also suffer from various mental health issues. They shy away from exhibiting any kind of feelings or emotions due to societal pressures and expectations. They continue to bottle up their feelings while navigating through the difficult phases of life and this leads to an unhealthy state of mind and eventually depression.

Men who suffer from mental health issues exhibit signs like isolation, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of being overwhelmed, along with anti-social behaviours, lack of self-care, and grooming among others.

They don’t feel comfortable in sharing their conflicting feelings and intrusive thoughts. They perceive it to be a sign of weakness, and this is the kind of thought process that needs to be addressed and destigmatized.

We as a society have to realize that we have a substantial problem at our hands when it comes to men’s mental health, and we have to take a collaborative step towards changing the way we approach men’s mental health issues. We have to make our homes and work environments, a safe place for them to openly talk and discuss about their inner battles.

Asking for help is a crucial and an important step towards bettering one’s state of mind. Seeking therapy and adopting other coping mechanisms can go a long way in contributing towards having a healthy mind. Encourage men in your close groups and families to share their thoughts and feelings. Make them feel wanted, accepted, and cared for. This is the first step towards the acceptance of men’s mental health issues.

Man Up! Take a stand for all the men out there.

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