How is He coping? How is He coping? Honestly, some of them just aren’t coping. And they need to know that it’s alright to talk about it and reach out for help.
Here are some facts about Canadian men and their mental health:
Around 10% of Canadian men experience significant mental health challenges in their life.
Approximately one million Canadian men suffer from major depression each year.
On average, approximately 4,000 Canadians take their own life each year, of those suicides; 75% are men.
Canadian indigenous men have a suicide rate that is double that of the Canadian national average, with Inuit men being 11 times the national average
Gay men have a higher rate of depression, anxiety, suicidality, self-harm, and substance abuse in comparison to their heterosexual counterparts.
In order of highest to lowest, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Alberta have the highest suicide rates among men in Canada (Men's Mental Health, 2021)
What does masculinity mean in 2023? Is it the antiquated definition of the man and traditional gender roles that has been put on society that the man is the breadwinner and works to take care of his family while their significant other stays home? That men should be tough and keep their emotions bottled up and just learn to deal with it?
Why are men demonized and thought less of should they choose to express emotion or talk about their mental health? Why are there still so many men out there that believe that they need to carry all their issues and concerns bottled up inside? Why is it still believed by some that men are the stronger species and should be thought of as such and not show weakness. That men that seek out help for the mental health are viewed as not “real” men? Whatever the hell that means!!
Men are conditioned to believe that emotions are not meant to be expressed. Perhaps that’s why of the estimated 4,000 suicide deaths in Canada each year, close to 75 per cent are men.
We, as a society, need to normalize men talking about their feelings. Men need to know that they will not be ridiculed for showing emotion during a time that has historically been frowned upon for a man to do so. Men also need to support other men on a deeper more emotional level.
Toxic masculinity is exactly that. Toxic. The idea of the male being praised for their toughness and apathy needs to stop. The idea that men should look a certain way to be thought of as sexy needs to stop. Men shouldn’t require permission from society to be vulnerable.
Does toxic masculinity perpetuate what manliness is and what it isn’t, thus promoting a culture of aggression, control, homophobia, and misogyny? Does the toxic masculinity that is expected from the men mean that men are not showing their vulnerability or struggles because they fear being perceived as weak and “less of a man” for using mental health services.
Physical and mental health work together. If one is broken, you are not living your life optimally. We need to make sure that regardless of the industry, (sports, agriculture, education, the arts) that we have built a level of comfort for those who need support for their mental health to seek out the services the need.
We need to remove the archaic belief that men shouldn’t show vulnerability. But most of all we need to remove the stigma that is still rooted in men reaching out for mental health supports.
Approaching anyone about their mental health can be difficult. But it is the first step in removing the stigma and letting someone know that they are supported and are not being judged.
Comentarios