As a & #39;man& #39; I& #39;ve grown up dealing with things on my own and when I& #39;m suffering, I avoid others. I think I& #39;ve finally got to the point in my life where I recognise this as unhealthy, when you have people who care for you if you& #39;re just willing to ask. #mentalhealth #wellbeing #love
The biggest killer of men under 45 is suicide; men have consistently accounted for around 75% of all suicides. One in four men have thought about taking their own life and over 40% of men suffer in silence, never sharing their feelings.
We are inept at teaching our children and peers the skills required to have meaningful conversations, in a generation that encourages victims of abuse and discrimination to openly talk, men remain silent. Our worries, creating distance and anger in meaningful relationships.
Only a third of psychological therapy referrals are men despite men have measurably lower access to the social support of friends, being more than 3 times as likely to become alcohol or drug dependant than women, and twice as likely to develop personality disorders.
There are things we can all do to help each other; from improving health (diet/weight/fitness) to engaging in meaningful and authentic interactions, free from masculine/feminine judgments.
But more than anything, just try to talk (and listen) to each other.
But more than anything, just try to talk (and listen) to each other.