International Men’s Day took place on November 19 this year — but I think the topic of men’s mental health is worth talking about all year round.
Men are not all cut from one cloth. They vary enormously but one thing I’ve noticed in my practice is that most of the troubled ones who come in for counseling are ones who received a faulty message growing up.
They seem to have gotten the idea from family and society in general to be “strong.” That is, they seem to have learned that they need to (and should be able to) find answers to life’s questions within themselves — meaning that they’ll seem weak if they let others’ ideas influence them.
What a lonely position this can be. And, understandably, it can overwhelm a guy and, in some cases, lead to wanting to escape this burden and possibly turn into self-destructive acts.
And, it interferes with being a complete human being who can allow himself to accept being vulnerable in order to share himself with others
Most couples who come in for counseling find that letting the other into their private worlds makes everyone function better and enjoy this one life we’ve been given.