Men's mental health matters! 'Man up' is not the answer anymore
Men struggle with societal pressures, expectations, stigmas, stereotypes, and people's ignorance towards mental health. More often than not, men's mental health has often been overlooked or underrepresented in the mainstream and certain segments of the population.
June is the month of men's mental health awareness, which provides an opportunity to destigmatize seeking help and foster an environment for men's health and well-being.
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| Arjun Kapoor's character in the movie '2 States', visiting a therapist |
Why do we need to talk about men's mental health?
26-year-old Raj Chaudhary, working as a banker, had always been very open about his emotions. He says, “Being brought up in a household with a very modern approach, I was never scared to express my feelings. However, be it college or now work-place, I am often mocked for being over emotional.”
Expert psychiatrist Dr Devashish Palkar says, "When we talk about men's mental health, it's still a big taboo, and most of the men still believe that seeking out help for their mental health concerns would be a sign of weakness." He adds, "Women generally talk about their emotions, whereas when men talk about their emotions among other men, they get derogatory labels like 'ladki jaisa hai' (you are woman-like)."
A report by World Health Organization (WHO) states that men are twice as likely to die by suicide than women. This is backed by the numbers released by the Ministry of Health, Government of India which states that, around 71% male and 29% female accounted for the total number of suicide deaths in the country in 2020.
Men's mental health and substance abuse
Men deal with their emotions in a very unhealthy way, and this is also why they often fall prey to substance abuse. "If we trace the history of smoking and alcohol addiction, most of the time, mental health issues like anxiety and depression are associated in a comorbid way among men," says Dr Palkar.
“I was 15 when I first resorted to smoking. This was when I had flunked my 9th class exams and was going through a very tough time. Someone suggested that smoking will help and that is how I resorted to smoking,” says a 20-year-old. He adds, “Initially, I was hesitant but gradually it became an addiction. I could not function without it. I understand that this is extremely harmful so I am also taking therapy.”
Sexual health interlinked with mental health
A man's sexual health is psychologically associated with mental health. It has been seen that those men who face issues related to sexual performance often face anxiety, said Dr Palkar.
What to do regarding men's mental health?
Women around men at the workplace or at home can talk with them about their mental health concerns and also encourage them to seek help. Men should feel comfortable talking with their colleagues, friends, and relatives about their mental health issues. It would be a great help for them if people would recognize their concerns instead of mocking them.
"We need more role models in the mass media talking about their mental health problems, so people can also come out seeking inspiration from them," said Dr Palkar. He added, “Cricketer Virat Kohli recently admitted that he struggled with loneliness and battled depression at some point in his life. But these are rare instances.”
It is essential to continue the conversation about mental health beyond age, gender, race, and ethnicity. Humans living in a bubble of societal stigma should be busted, addressing the underlying issues of every human being.
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