Men’s mental health is no different from a woman’s mental health, or anyone else’s mental health. What does make men’s mental health stand out is that it is not talked about as frequently as women’s mental health. Men face an enormous amount of shame and stigma due to the polarizing societal expectations of the male identity. With the crippling pressure of performance through strength where emotions are seen as a weakness, men are less likely to talk about their feelings. Worse, men are less likely to ask for help when their mental health is struggling. Perhaps most problematically, because men are only taught to be “strong”, they aren’t taught how to be comfortable in their “weaknesses”; meaning, men cannot always recognize they are suffering because they only see emotional discomfort as an opposite to strength.
Startling Facts About Men’s Mental Health
Men’s Health cites that:
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- Nine percent of all men experience depression daily
- Three million men or more experience anxiety daily
- More than 90 percent of the millions of people diagnosed as schizophrenic by age 30 are men
- 10 million men will live with an eating disorder in their lifetime in the U.S.
- Suicide is seventh among leading causes of death for males
- “…Suicide is the second most common cause of death for every age group for men 10 through 39.”
- If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, you are not alone. Please reach out and talk to someone. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
“Men who are vocal about any kind of mental issues can be dismissed as weak. As inferior. As flawed, broken guys who are more likely to be ostracized for their honesty, instead of rewarded for their bravery,” writes Men’s Health Digital Director Sean Evans. “This macho attitude of stuffing your feelings down, or ignoring them, is antiquated and downright dangerous,” he emphasizes. Evans describes the many seemingly “wrong” things that men might feel and urges men to understand “These are perfectly normal feelings that every man experiences. And it’s okay to talk about it.” “What’s not okay,” Evans states, “is suffering in silence.”
Addiction and alcoholism tend to speak for the emotional and/or psychological pain men are experiencing. Where men can’t find the words, their behaviors in addiction do all the communicating. Each man’s addiction will look different- some addictions are more silent than others. Never mistake a call for help as a sign of weakness in a man. If you are a man in your life is suffering from a mental health issue like addiction or alcoholism, help is available.
Tree House Recovery in Portland, Oregon offers men’s addiction treatment programs, helping men find freedom from addiction. Call us today for information on our innovative approach to treatment and recovery which transforms men’s lives inside and out: (503) 850-2474
