{"id":15171,"date":"2025-09-19T05:12:29","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T22:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15171"},"modified":"2025-09-19T05:12:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T22:12:29","slug":"men-and-mental-health-redefining-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15171","title":{"rendered":"Men and Mental Health: Redefining Strength\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Throughout childhood, boys are taught to be tough and strong. They learn to suppress their emotions to be perceived as masculine. However, just because men come off as secure and having it all together doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that\u2019s how they actually feel.<\/p>\n<p>Men\u2019s mental health is a concerning issue that is often overlooked and stigmatized. Men who are afraid to be vulnerable can struggle inside, leading to more serious mental health conditions. These include everything from long-term depression and anxiety to substance abuse to suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing this mental health epidemic means breaking down the stigma associated with men, promoting vulnerability, and providing support systems.<\/p>\n<h2>The Stigma Around Mental Health for Men<\/h2>\n<p>Societal expectations assume that men are forceful, powerful, and strong. Because of this, men learn to suppress what they\u2019re feeling from a young age. Crying after losing a t-ball game is a sign of weakness, as is running to mom when they fall and scrape their knee while playing. Men are taught to downplay their symptoms or avoid them altogether.<\/p>\n<p>By \u201cgrinning and bearing it,\u201d men are hiding how they are feeling instead of recognizing and processing their emotions. Since they aren\u2019t addressing their mental health needs, they are kicking the can down the road until it results in a bigger problem. The first signs of depression or sadness shouldn\u2019t be ignored. The same goes for a reliance on certain substances such as drugs and alcohol. Instead, anyone with these thoughts or behavioral patterns, regardless of their gender identity, should feel empowered to seek help from a medical professional.<\/p>\n<p>Therapy, support groups, and <a href=\"https:\/\/pathwaysreallife.com\/depression-treatment-utah\/\">inpatient treatment for substance abuse<\/a> are just some of the treatment options available to help men deal with their ongoing mental health challenges.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Promote Vulnerability<\/h2>\n<p>Of course, most men already know that help is available. The problem is that they assume that seeking it is a sign of weakness. Switching this mentality from a weakness to a strength isn\u2019t something that happens overnight. It requires encouraging vulnerability and listening to men as they express how they\u2019re really doing.<\/p>\n<p>The first step in promoting vulnerability is creating a safe, supportive environment. If you notice that your husband, son, brother, or male friend is struggling, make sure they know that you are there for them. Be explicit in saying that you want to help them and are willing to listen.. If they do start to share, don\u2019t assume that they want help right away. They may first need to just get everything off their chest before they are willing to receive feedback on how to get help.<\/p>\n<p>This means being an active listener, or focusing on what the person is saying and being fully present as they are talking. If you\u2019re texting or distracted on your phone, the individual will assume that you don\u2019t care or aren\u2019t listening. If you cut them off mid-sentence, they may feel like they can\u2019t get everything out there before you jump in with your own story or conclusion.<\/p>\n<p>As your partner or friend begins to wrap up, ask open-ended questions. This can nudge them to elaborate on their feelings as well as provide more details on how they\u2019re doing. This technique can also work to get the conversation going. Asking, \u201cIs there anything on your mind?\u201d or \u201cWhat are you thinking about right now?\u201d can be great places to start.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, being vulnerable is challenging for just about everyone. Thank the person after they\u2019ve shared and remind them that they can always come to you if they need to talk or to pick up on the conversation.<\/p>\n<h2>Support Available to Men for Their Mental Health Needs<\/h2>\n<p>No matter how much support you can give, know that there is professional help available. For certain situations, it may be critical to find and address a male\u2019s mental health crisis immediately. Here are some support options to consider<\/p>\n<h3>Therapy<\/h3>\n<p>This is a good place to start, especially for men who struggle with opening up. Specifically, look for therapists trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns. This type of therapy can address the stigmas associated with men and switch seeking help from a sign of weakness to a sign of strength. A licensed mental health therapist will be able to assess if medications are needed or if further help, such as inpatient treatment, is necessary.<\/p>\n<h3>Mental Health Lifelines and Organizations<\/h3>\n<p>Numerous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/find-help\">mental health lifelines and organizations<\/a> are also available free of charge to provide one-time or ongoing support. If you or a loved one is facing a life-threatening issue, you can call or text 988 \u2014\u00a0the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You\u2019ll be connected with a trained counselor for confidential support and immediate assistance.<\/p>\n<p>Other organizations are also available based on specific needs. The Veterans Crisis Line (text 838255) is available to those who have previously served in the military. For those who are experiencing a natural disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline (call or text 1-800-985-5990) is available.<\/p>\n<p>Federal resources such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are also resources to consider.<\/p>\n<p>Again, getting help doesn\u2019t mean that you are weak or inadequate; instead, it\u2019s a sign of strength that you have the courage to speak up and know that you are not alone in your struggles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>M&amp;F and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/features\/from-our-partners\/men-and-mental-health-redefining-strength\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Throughout childhood, boys are taught to be tough and strong. They learn to suppress their emotions to be perceived as masculine. However, just because men come off as secure and having it all together doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that\u2019s how they actually feel. Men\u2019s mental health is a concerning issue that is often overlooked and stigmatized. &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15171"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15171\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}