The Courage to Seek Help

For as much general progress as has been made in recent years to help people understand and prioritize their mental health, a stigma still persists for men and boys. According to a recent study, men remain less likely than women to seek help for mental illness, even though they are three times more likely to die by suicide. Further, unhelpful stereotypes that require men to be “tough” and suppress their feelings only exacerbate a cycle of avoidance and depression. According to Mark Raspberry, LCPC, a psychotherapist at Sheppard Pratt’s Outpatient Mental Health Center in Frederick, help is available for men and boys who have the courage to seek it.

“In many cultures, mental illness can be especially isolating for men because it isn’t seen as a masculine move to get help. Men tend to suffer in silence,” Raspberry says. “There is a certain vulnerability required for therapy, saying ‘something is not quite right, and I need to talk about it.’”

Changing the Narrative

According to Raspberry, changing the narrative begins early.

“These roots get planted in children early; what do the men in my family or my culture do? Changing the messaging starts with changing the modeling,” Raspberry explains.

Boys should learn from a young age that feelings are not masculine or feminine—they are human. Equipping boys with tools to help them understand and express their emotions in a healthy way is a skill that will serve them into adulthood.

Men and Minority Mental Health

Research suggests that men from minority communities may struggle even more than their white peers with seeking help.

“There are a lot of factors which might explain why minority populations are more reluctant to seek out therapy,” says Raspberry. “First of all, talking about mental health may not be normalized within their community or culture of origin. Another factor at play may be distrust—a fear that they will be misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and maybe even mistreated within the mental health system. Further, there is a lack of representation of providers of color in the field of mental health.”

Seeking Help

Regardless of their background, helping men remove the stigma of mental illness begins with a simple step.

“Step one for talking about mental health is just that: talking about it! The more we share with others openly about our experiences with therapy, the more we destigmatize mental illness and treatment. If you are concerned about someone in your life, check in on them. We need to take away the stigma around getting help and admitting that it’s okay to not be okay. The more we can have these conversations out loud and normalize it, the more likely other men will be to consider getting the help they need.”