Over the years, mental health issues have become more prevalent due to social media, the stress/pressure of school, and extreme standards set for both men and women. Unfortunately, depression and anxiety among boys and men tend to get widely ignored.
There are multiple factors that contribute to this significant problem. The main part of the issue is society’s fault, as we put an absurd amount of pressure on boys to hide their emotions and feelings. Some common ideals that have been continuously reiterated over the years are, “Boys don’t cry”; “Don’t be a girl”; and “Don’t be such a baby!”.
The pressure that society puts on men to bottle up their emotions and feelings puts them in a tough situation as a result; they can’t even feel comfortable opening up to their own family. Not only that, but this idea can cause larger problems that lead to greater mental health struggles.
As a boy grows up hearing those phrases over and over, they can often tend to raise their own boys in the same way. This leads to a continuous cycle of toxic masculinity, which leads to a whole other world of problems.
The pressure to not express certain emotions, in fear of being called a girl or “too feminine,” leads to mental health problems including depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, men are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide in the United States.
Read more at BurlingtonCountyTimes.com.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.