Mental illness is cruel. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, career, wealth, sex, etc. There’s still a lot of stigma surrounding mental illness, which can make people hesitant to reach out to others for help and support. Yet, it may be even more difficult for men. According to CALM, the mental health support site, suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK. Just take a moment to let that sink in.
I was recently talking to a male friend who opened up to me (after a long time!) and told me that he thought he was too emotional for a man. Together, we had a discussion about society and mental health, and we agreed together that it is good to be emotional. To show your true emotions also shows true strength. I hate the idea that people, especially men, feel the need to hide their emotions to fit the societal ideal of being a strong, tough man. If you think about it, even from the school playgrounds it was drilled into us that ‘men don’t cry’. If a child tripped and grazed their knee, from what I saw, the girls would be comforted and taken away to have a plaster delicately placed on their wound, yet the boys would simply get up and carry on, was this your experience too? Boys, and men, should be free to cry and let all their emotions out – the positive and the negative. If they’re held in for too long, it could lead to mental illness and thoughts of suicide. So I’ve always said, men – please, please cry, and always ask for help. Whether that’s a friend or family member, your doctor, you can even message me, just tell someone, and I really hope that with time through generations, men can feel the need to truly be emotional and show themselves truthfully to others in this way.
If you want to get involved and put your opinions across, feel free to send me a message via my social media, email or leave a comment below. If you’d like to post on my blog (you can remain anonymous if you prefer) to talk about your experiences then you’re also welcome to get in touch.
If you’d like to support men with their mental health, then please reach out the men in your life, whether that’s a friend, cousin, brother, father, uncle, etc. and ask them how they are, honestly and sincerely, and help them to talk and reach out for professional support if needed. Also, if you’re reading this and would like some ideas of where you can reach out to support, you may find the following helpful: CALM: www.thecalmzone.net/ Samaritans: www.samaritans.org/
I have no affiliations with the above links or support websites.
Take care,
Sophie x
As always, please bear in mind that I am not a mental health professional or any other type of professional, this is a hobby for me and is for informational purposes only and shouldn’t be seen as any kind of advice. I am not liable for any consequences as a result of this information and if readers rely on any of the information on my blog, it is at their own risk. I cannot confirm that all information is correct, accurate or reliable. The information is true to the best of my knowledge, yet there may be omissions, errors or mistakes. This information isn’t intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have, or believe to have, a mental illness, please contact a mental health professional.
Note: This picture belongs to Wix.
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