Ignorance towards Men's health has been a theme that has echoed throughout history but is now more prevalent than ever. In recent times, with characters like Andrew Tate arising, there have been great misconceptions about how men should act in response to mental health issues and the issues they face in today's time.
The traditional view on men's mental health
Throughout history, there has been a lack of conversations regarding men's mental health. Men have consistently struggled in speaking about their feelings and it's very clear in the older generations. This could be due to several reasons. One that I believe is most important is that their fathers taught them that being a man is to take care of his family and provide, nothing more nothing less. But we have seen the effects that not talking has had on men as recent studies have shown 'statistically, men tend to fall into dangerous, self-destructive behaviours rather than seek professional help for their mental health'. This has been known to lead to damaged relationships in families and, even worse; suicide. Due to the lack of communication on certain issues, there are men who are struggling with traumatic experiences they are ashamed to talk about. It's been a total misconception that talking about your mental issues makes you weak or 'any less of a man'. I believe that to eradicate the negative stigma around men's mental health it will take time as these are foundations that have been set over thousands of years, it will take time but with the right conversations, we can shift the culture around it in the right direction. Men shouldn't have to feel uncomfortable talking about their problems as they lead to more issues in the future and it first starts with us making it less of a taboo to talk about mental health issues.
The rise of Andrew Tate
The social media influencer, Andrew Tate seemed to arrive at the perfect time as adolescents have lacked a clear male role model, with most not listening to their own parents but would rather spend their time living in a screen. He became a hero to these young men making them feel heard; talking about their issues and providing solutions to them. Even though most of Andrew Tate's diagnosis in regards to what young men have to deal with is correct most of his answers to their issues are incorrect. Tate seems to take the more traditional approach when it comes to men's mental health issues essentially summed up in the phrase 'man up'. In a time when men feel less heard than ever, Tate could do some real harm to the next generation, him providing a false image of what an 'alpha male' looks like can have a negative impact on the men of tomorrow. We should instead encourage people to be more open regarding the mental health issues they are going through and encourage a dialogue to make people feel less embarrassed when talking about their own issues. But in a time where there is more divide than ever this change will be difficult.
The negative impact of the ignorance surrounding men's mental health issues
The ignorance surrounding men's mental health is now becoming a serious problem in today's day and age and has seen a disproportionate amount of men tragically take their own lives with studies showing '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'. These facts coupled up with the fact that there is a known issue with men struggling to talk about their own issues is more than enough proof we have a problem. It's saddening and regretful to think that some people's lives could have been saved if society was more welcoming when talking about men's mental health issues.
In conclusion, I believe it is the duty of our society to erase the negative stigma surrounding men's mental health and it starts within your community. Don't be oblivious to the power you hold when it comes to this issue. A simple conversation can go a long way in moving the dialogue in a more positive direction, and it all starts with you.
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