In a world where mental health is deemed so important, why do men still struggle?
With mental health being a massive world issue in today's modern world there has been so much spotlight and focus on ensuring people's well-being. However although most people have been shown the light and been given a path out of a dark mind, yet it seems that men most of all to struggle most in dealing with their mental health. Throughout media this issue seems to be overlooked and not given much thought and this can be a contributing factor as to why men feel unwanted and unneeded in today's society. This can also be a result of the traditional gender norms and expectations that are so deeply rooted within people that views men as too manly to talk about feelings, as shown by the common phrase 'Man Up'. Additionally, a common thought about men is that they should keep a hard exterior and if these was to open up and speak about how they feel they would seem weaker. The idea that men should be the dominant, strong providers of their family are instilled into boys when they are young throughout society and although these can be seen as positive traits, it puts a lot of pressure onto men and can make them feel independent from others on their own journey and lead them to a life of keeping their emotions inside.
Do Men Suffer Differently
Depression, anxiety and other mental health issues can harm all in various ways yet no major differences in effect may be found between women and men. However, natural male traits could potentially create worse scenarios that stem from these problems. This can be highlighted by the majority of men having differing characteristics such as aggression, irritability, loss of control, higher physicality and also risk-taking. These characteristics can make men more likely to take action and worsen they're situation, rather than talking about how they feel. Research has shown that men are more likely to use harmful coping methods such as alcohol and drugs as a form of escapism, as well as men typically throwing themselves at work in order to distract themselves instead of dealing with it. Many statistics show the difference in how men suffer, three times as many men die by suicide compared with women, and men aged 40 to 49 have the highest suicide rates in the UK. In addition to this Men have lower life satisfaction according to the government's national well-being survey. Lastly Men are also less likely to confront their issues with a therapist.
In 2017, nearly 6000 suicides were recorded in Great Britain. Of these, 75% were men. Suicide is the largest cause of death for men under 50.
How to Overcome
Although this issue can be found quite commonly in men, there is a lot more help available to ensure that these terrifying statistics go down. Most help can be found online with quick searches on the internet that will provide phone numbers and websites offering aid. Also a lot more posters and promotions can be seen with advice and information on how to overcome such problems. The main solution would obviously be to talk, however it has shown to be harder said than done. Although today, talking is much more accepted for men and even encouraged yet many still reject this help. Therefore a major project to undertake in order to help this problem would be to show the younger generations is good to talk and ensure that gender roles and expectations no longer harm and cause damage later on in life.
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