Men's mental health - why men suffer in silence

Whilst men and women suffer from similar difficulties regarding their mental health, there is a difference in the way they address them. Women tend to be more open in discussing their feelings and emotions, whereas men have a tendency to keep it to themselves and suffer in silence. Quite often they turn to distraction techniques such as spending more time working, drinking more than they used to, or visiting their 'man cave'.

According to Movember, we lose 60 men to suicide each hour, every hour, across the world. In the UK, 75% of all suicides are completed by men.

Believing they can deal with it, not wishing to burden anyone, embarrassment, stigma, not wanting to appear weak, and having no one to talk to are all reasons given as to why men chose to suffer on their own and in silence.

Clearly, with many men suffering in silence and experiencing feelings such as depression and anxiety, much more needs to be done for them to feel both encouraged and comfortable with opening up and taking that first step towards help.

So maybe one thing that needs to change in society is for adult men to demonstrate that it’s OK to talk and express their negative feelings and emotions, as well as the good ones. This may encourage the younger generation of boys to grow up viewing this show of vulnerability as accepted behavior, as well as a sign of strength rather than a weakness, as you display the courage to tackle the issue rather than ignoring it.

By a verified counsellor/therapist

Published on 11th November, 2019