Man Talk

-

 It takes a brave man to acknowledge his vulnerability.


June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. Over the last few years, there has been a welcome increase in discussion around mental health, particularly men's mental health. Unfortunately, the centuries-old stigma surrounding men's mental health still persists, as if having a Y-chromosome somehow prevents you from being emotionally vulnerable. Men don't cry? Yeah, no. Men don’t feel anxious? Nope. Jesus Christ, the literal definition of a Perfect Man, was in such mental agony the night before His execution that he sweated blood (a rare condition known as hematidrosis).

There are a plethora of negative societal consequences for not allowing men to talk about their mental health: such as more instances of domestic violence and higher rates of depression. According to WHO, annual suicide rates for males globally (12.6 per 10,000 people) are over twice as high as those for females (5.6 per 10,000 people). 

This needs to change.

Men can cover up their sorrow with aggression, or belittle other men for being emotional, but these tactics don’t work for long. If you don't let a river flow naturally, eventually you'll have a flood on your hands. Men and women both have demanding and sometimes stressful roles to play in society. We both deserve an opportunity to share our problems with others. Talking to someone who is willing to listen and offer help is such a effective form of medication for mental health issues. When you feel as if your mind is closing in on itself, open up. Just talk man. To a friend, a family member. People who you can trust. If such people are difficult to find, get down on your knees and pray. Tell God what’s on your mind. It helps, trust me. 

The phrases 'be a man' or 'man up' are unfortunately used to get males (mostly boys) to sit on their emotions. Well, I think us men should 'man up' and talk freely about what we're feeling and listen to our fellow men if they're going through a rough patch. I can't think of many things more manly than being courageous enough to seek help for a problem and to help someone who's going through a tough time. I believe that more institutions should be set up to help men (and women) deal with their mental health, particularly in Africa. Having a safe space to talk about and get the necessary support to deal with stress and negative emotions wouldn’t only help those suffering from depression, anxiety or other mental health issues, but it would benefit their family, friends and our community at large.

So guys, let's talk.

Source:
Men and Mental Health: What are we missing? (AAMC).
 Why more men than women commit suicide (Nation, Dr Okumba Miruka, 2023).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Househelps: Ordinary Heroes

-
 Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear aprons. . Although no one can shoot lasers out of their eyes or control lightning ( sigh ), our society has some real life superheroes - from first-responders such as ambulance personnel and search-and-rescue teams, to athletes who push themselves to do the best for their team. However, some of the most admirable individuals are those who's job it is to do the most ordinary tasks. People who consistently take care of the simple, but essential things that make our lives complete. Househelps fall into this category. Also known as maids or (checks Thesaurus.com) au pairs , these ladies really deserve a shoutout. I'm from Kenya, and in many African countries, a househelp isn't an exclusive worker who only the rich can afford. The average African middle-class household often has at least one househelp who, well, helps around the house. Oh boy, do they help out a lot . From preparing meals, to doing laundry; washing dishes, cleaning the house
Read more

The Passion of the Christ: Hope amidst Suffering

-
 Revisiting Mel Gibson's biblical epic. As Easter is here, our minds are apt to turn to chocolates, special meals and holidays. These are all well and good, but it's important to preserve the true meaning of the Easter season: celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. To get to Easter, we have to go through the Passion. [OBLIGATORY SPOILER WARNING] Mel Gibson’s 2004 film, The Passion of the Christ; does an excellent job of capturing the events of Good Friday with striking (and often horrific) accuracy. I applaud the cast and crew for doing their best to make the film as realistic as possible; the fact that the dialogue is entirely in Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew is great, it makes one feel as though they have been transported back to biblical times. I do wish they had included Jesus' consolation of the holy women (although apparently it's in a deleted scene).  From a cinematic perspective, this movie is incredible. The scenes are well shot (there's a littl
Read more

(Re)start

-
 Some thoughts and ideas on new beginnings. Happy New Year! Our planet has completed yet another orbit around our Sun. But nothing feels...different.  Our placement of the start of the New Year is quite arbitrary. We could have it at any time. The Chinese won't be celebrating their New Year until February (it's gonna be the Year of the Dragon-how cool is that?). People make a big deal out of the beginning of a new year, and not without reason. It's a time of high levels of activity: planning for the next 12 months, paying school fees, getting back to work...there's a lot to do. Setting New Year's resolutions is one common practice around this time. Not sticking to them for more than a few weeks is another.  But for real, whilst the idea of taking time at the beginning of the year to set goals and make some changes to our lives is admirable; why should we only do this on January 1st? My little brother put it in a very profound way: "A date can't change you,
Read more