Mens Mental Health Awareness
For generations, men have been taught to "man up," "be strong," that “real men don’t cry” and "just push through." Emotions were a thing to be mastered, not something to be experienced and expressed. Vulnerability? That was weakness. But today, we know better—and it's time we do better because these outdated beliefs are insidious and incredibly damaging.
June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, but the conversation needs to last all year long. Too many men are struggling silently, and it's costing lives. Men are far less likely than women to seek support for mental health challenges, even though they experience them at similar—and sometimes greater—rates. Consider the following:
In the U.S., men die by suicide nearly four times more often than women. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for men under 45.
Over 6 million men experience depression annually, but many go undiagnosed because symptoms often show up as irritability, anger, or physical pain.
Men are less likely to seek help: only about 40% of men with mental illness receive treatment, compared to over half of women.
Among new fathers, as many as 1 in 4 experience postpartum depression—yet rarely talk about it.
These are not just statistics. They are brothers, fathers, partners, sons, nephews, uncles, cousins, coworkers, and friends. So why don’t more men seek help? Stigma. Men are often taught to equate asking for help with failure. Showing emotion feels like admitting defeat. Many internalize messages like:"I should be able to handle this.", "It’s not that bad." or "Guys don’t talk about their feelings." This stigma leads to shame, isolation, and delay in getting care—often until things hit a crisis point, or it is too late.
The truth? Talking about emotions takes courage. Seeking help is a sign of strength. Vulnerability is not a weakness—it’s a path to healing. As a society, we need to normalize mental health conversations for men, just as we do for physical health. Here’s how you can help dismantle stigma:
Check in with the men in your life. A simple “How are you really doing?” can open a door.
Model vulnerability. If you’re a man reading this, know that sharing your experience might give another man permission to do the same.
Challenge harmful stereotypes. Whether it’s in the locker room, boardroom, or group chat—call out outdated views that shame emotional expression.
Encourage therapy. You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. It is also a space to explore, grow, and offload without judgment.
Now is the time to stop asking men to suffer in silence. Let’s give them space to feel, speak, and heal. If you’re a man struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, anger, or just feeling stuck—you are not broken. You are human and you deserve support. Therapy is not about fixing you. It is about helping you understand yourself, build tools, and live with more peace and clarity.
If you are thinking this all sounds swell, but where do I even begin? Start by identifying and labeling the feelings that you are experiencing. (Pro tip: there is probably more than one singular emotion occurring at a given time. Mixed emotions are normal and complicated so have some grace for yourself as you begin the essential and valuable work of getting to know yourself and your feelings better.) The Feelings Wheel, a helpful tool for beginning to identify feelings and emotions can be found here.
Once feelings have been identified, allow them to exist without judging or dismissing them. Notice where the feeling lives in your body: maybe it is tension in your neck or back, a pit in your stomach, tightness in your chest, a pang in your heart or some other sensation. Allow yourself some space to explore what comes up for you with curiosity and a healthy dose of self-compassion. When you encounter an area of tenderness, suffering, or pain, nurture it with kindness. What you are feeling is your own beautiful and unique humanity and you are not alone.
Label - identify the feelings
Allow - accept the feeling(s) exists and has a place in your body
Notice & Locate
Explore & Nurture
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