Men don’t have friends and it’s killing them.

People who lack strong friendships have:

Higher blood pressure
Higher BMI
Are more likely to be depressed
Live 22% less long

Studies show males were more likely to view talking about their problems as “weird” & “a waste of time.”

Men tend to bond around experiences.

Men watch sports, go to concerts, work out together, but don’t talk about their feelings

Men believe they must behave like stoic robots in front of other men, & that women are the only people they are allowed to turn to for emotional support

Men don’t put the effort into maintaining friendships once they’re married. The guys at work are the only people they talk to — so when they retire, they expect their wives to be their source of entertainment and even get jealous that they have a life. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a27259689/toxic-masculinity-male-friendships-emotional-labor-men-rely-on-women/

Only 5% of men seek mental health services, despite feeling lonelier than ever before (in a recent British study, 2.5M men admitted to having no close friends).

Men conceal pain and illness at much higher rates than women, and are 3x more likely than women to commit suicide

A lot of men — who may not know where to start — are finding male emotional intimacy through Men’s Support Groups

This can be especially helpful for those too anxious to go to traditional therapy or simply can’t afford it.

https://www.mhanational.org/find-support-groups