I recently had a girls night out, After a few drinks my friend took out her phone and started showing us texts of this one guy who was scared of meeting her as he has severe social anxiety. She laughed at him, called him a ‘pussy’ and I couldn’t understand why.
Every time I talk about mental health, A lot of people say that men don’t have to go through the emotional pain we go through, they will never understand our part of the story.
There are so many occasions where people have shut men talking about their problem down saying ‘it is intimidating.’ Men are often asked to be strong, without too many feelings, why? Why when men get anxiety attacks they are asked to watch ‘Youtube videos’, but when women do, they need to visit a therapist?
Mental health knows no gender, and it’s time we address pressure, insecurities, Mental breakdowns, anxiety, low self-esteem etc. they go through.
Societal standards are not limited to women; men are trapped in those standards too- They need to be heavy build, tall, possess a beard, cannot cry, need to be super strong, these are just a few things that I’m mentioning, the list is endless.
Let’s talk numbers, 9 per cent of men experience depression on a daily basis. That’s more than 6 million men. More than 3 million men struggle with anxiety daily. Of the 3.5 million people diagnosed as schizophrenic by the age of 30, more than 90 per cent are men. And then there is an eating disorder, mood disorder, having specific body shape, being the bread earner of family etc.
Women are more open about their depression than men because society believes men cannot have insecurities they often hide their depression by calling it ‘Cranky day.’ It is okay to be sad, anxious, depressed, lonely, upset, lost etc. as long as you are talking about it at one point.
Real men talk about their problems.
