When will men learn to accept it’s ok to talk about your mental health? I know a lot of you find it difficult to ask for support. 1 in 8 men suffers from common mental illnesses, ie anxiety, depression in comparison to women where it is 1 in 4 (counselling directory). Despite women being more likely to suffer from common mental illness, they are 10% more likely to access treatment.
Lots of reasons come to mind. We will explore the reasons behind your reluctance to ask for help.
Pride
– you might feel embarrassed about asking for help
– are the issues real?
– will I be belittled?
– what will others think?
– I am a man. I should be able to deal with this myself without help
Failure
Will I be seen as a failure if I can’t cope?
Weak
My friends will see me as weak and unable to cope with the pressures of life.
Stigma
All of the above give men the stigma that asking for help is a sign of weakness, failure or not being good enough.
Asking for help
Asking for help is none of the above. When life gets tough, it is ok to hold your hands up and say I am struggling at the moment. I am finding balancing all these things difficult. It does not mean you are weak or a failure. It means you are a human being and struggling with your feelings and emotions.
What scares you about asking for help? At the end of the day, you are only human and are affected by the same feelings and emotions as females. No doubt you watch what you eat, which looks after your physical health. You probably also take part in regular exercise to support your physical health too. Over the last few years, it has become acceptable for men to use skincare products, where you look after the outside of your body. Why shouldn’t you give the same care to your mental wellbeing?
Facts and Figures
3/4 of all suicides registered in 2018 (Office for national statistics) were men. We need to reduce this number by offering men the support that they need.
1 in 4 adults will be suffering from some form of mental health at any one time. When you go to the pub with your group of friends, do you realise how many of them are affected by mental health issues? It’s time to take the lead and be the one in the group, that says “Men, it’s ok to talk about your mental and health and I am going to get support to learn to deal with things differently”.
When men realise it’s ok to ask for support, it can come in all different forms. It can be one to one, face to face counselling sessions. Walk and talk therapy can be used, where you may feel more comfortable being out in the fresh air rather than sitting in a therapy room. Support can be via telephone or video sessions.
If you need support with your mental health, you can book with me by clicking on the button below
