Across the globe, the mental health of males needs to be addressed, and this issue is perpetuated by stigmatization and, therefore, suppressing feelings and emotions and not reaching out for help. Mental health is essential for everyone, and this article will discuss how men and boys can get the support they need and learn strategies that can enhance their lives.
1. Break Down Stigmas
As mentioned in the introduction, stigmatization is a significant barrier that prevents males from getting mental health treatment; many are taught to try to hide their emotions and tough it out. Others can feel shameful for struggling and will hesitate to contact support.
Stigmas can be broken down through more education, by being more open about discussing mental health topics, and by not discriminating against others if they happen to struggle with a particular issue.
It can also be addressed by talking about adjacent issues like gender roles and masculinity. These notions don’t necessarily need to be rejected; instead, they should be painted in a more positive light. For example, having good mental health and striving for it can equate to courage and strength.
2. Focusing On Themselves As Individuals, Not As “Men”
Societal expectations and what it means to be a man is a common issue that can be detrimental for males; instead, men and boys should pursue interests that benefit themselves the most rather than how others may perceive them.
Many individuals behave or engage in certain activities just to appear more masculine, even if it goes against what they truly believe. A few examples of this can be physical aggression, promiscuity, and catcalling.
Men and boys can still embrace masculinity in healthy ways and find self-improvement and techniques to cope with stress through positive means, as well as learning how to respect yourself and others.
3. Improve Access To Information & Support
Lastly, an important factor that can greatly benefit the mental health of men and boys is by making them aware of the different resources that they have available to them.
Individuals need to know that there are people out there that will listen to them and their concerns and that professional support with a counselor, therapist, or medical doctor is confidential. However, first, males need to first acknowledge that they have a problem that needs to be solved, and that relates to education, which was talked about earlier.
Nonetheless, there is a wealth of knowledge out there, and males can find additional resources related to their needs at BetterHelp and can find a licensed professional to whom they can reach out anytime for support.
Conclusion
Statistics show that males are more unlikely to seek treatment and often suffer poor outcomes because of this. However, these consequences can be prevented by allowing men to learn more about why their mental health should always be prioritized and how they can find assistance for the issues they can encounter, including those that relate specifically to masculinity. Hopefully, by reading this article, all males have learned how they can get help when they need it and challenge the stigmas.
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