An important topic that tends to be overlooked is men’s struggles with mental health. It is not a subject that is covered or talked about very frequently, and that’s a problem. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, mental illnesses happen with more frequency among men than they do amongst women.

MHAnational.org also explains that the population of men in the U.S. is 151.8 million, and of that 151.8 million, approximately 6 million of them are dealing with mental illness (MHA). That’s approximately 4% of males within the U.S. population that deal with mental struggles each year. Comparing that to the statistics found for 2021 from mindwise.org, the suicide rate is also much higher for men.

Men are actually 3.5 times more likely to commit suicide than women. Men are also more prone to mental traumas such as death, disaster, PTSD, and major accidents of this type (MindWise). Men are also more likely to binge drink as a way of coping as opposed to reaching out and getting the help they need to put them on a better mental path.  Forty-nine percent of a thousand men who were interviewed on the Today Show revealed that they are dealing with mental struggles and are actively avoiding seeking help.

There is an unreal expectation that society has placed on men who are supposed to be these macho, tough beings that can never be touched or moved off center. In this society letting somebody know that they are suffering anxiety or depression seems to be an unforgivable sin against humanity (Washingtonpost). The fact of the matter is that we all feel emotions from time to time. They may not exist in the external world, but part of life and being human is having feelings and emotions.

The more people ignore these feelings, and the more they sit on them without any sort of idea on how to express these feelings, the worse people feel and the more likely it is that they will suffer from depression. Depression also takes a toll on physical health as well, and there is a list of physical depression symptoms, such as insomnia, lack of energy, reduced appetite, and even outbursts of extreme emotions such as sadness or anger. Some of the answers on how to beat this can be simple while other times much more difficult.

The first and most obvious solution is for people to contact a doctor or a therapist, especially if they are experiencing physical symptoms. For some people this will be the hardest, but part of solving a problem is making sure to acknowledge the problem first and foremost. One cannot solve a problem they refuse to acknowledge.

Another thing to keep in mind is investing time in some hobbies and participating in events or taking on projects that you enjoy doing (Helpguide). Helpguide.org states, “doing things that make you feel good,” which honestly is a terrible way to word it, in my opinion. Things that might make somebody “feel good” are drugs, alcohol, and addictive substances.

What I like to say instead is; “invest time into some hobbies or projects that you enjoy.” This can help people to take their mind off of their troubles. If people can learn how to invest time into something they enjoy, then this can propel them to success in life when it comes time to finding a long term career or job. The focus used to enhance whatever hobbies they are good at can also be put towards something they can do for the next several years.

Eventually for some of the young men out there reading this right now, sitting on emotions and bottling them up will be no problem, since all that emotional energy will go towards whatever it is you are investing in. However, this takes time, practice, and dedication. Even if you can’t fully bottle these emotions, that’s okay, because it takes time to. As long as you are doing whatever it is in life that makes you happy, you are winning.

Solutions are different for each individual. When in such an emotionally damaging state of mind, it is possible to forget that there are people who care about your well being whether it be a family member, friend, or a person you have never met before from an organization to raise awareness for young mens’ mental health. Society says that when men don’t show emotion they are portraying strength, but asking for help behind closed doors portrays much more strength than trying too hard to bottle up emotions and to be non-reactive to difficult situations at every second of every day.