Mental illness does not choose one gender over the other. Many men suffer from mental health problems but only very few talk about it and stigma is the trigger; consequently, they are in two minds to either talk or not talk about it.
The reader cannot ignore the fact that men are usually stigmatised in their communities if they express their feelings which may allow some people to negatively assume that they cannot handle pressure, due to the common expectation placed upon men.
"Men have thick skin” – this could be right but to a certain extent. No man is a machine, we are still human beings made of flesh and blood like everyone else and have emotions; we get happy, cheerful and sometimes bored or even upset and depressed, it all depends how life treats us.
I believe that people who are struggling should ask for help and avoid bottling it up as it could be overwhelming and put you in repressive thought. Even if an individual could know what is best for them, there is always another person who would have better knowledge on that e.g., doctors etc and it is all about perspective. A different point of view is so important in psychology therefore the answer to your worries could be held by somebody else. So, therefore I suggest to whom may be reading this, that talking is the first step to the remedy and it can be suitable way to de-stress; not necessarily to a mental health professional but you could bring it up to a family member, a close friend or anyone you trust.
I remember few years ago, when things in my life started to get complicated and my life was just ruined, I started to feel depressed and confused and I started to wonder how I was going to pull myself together. I visited my doctor and let him know my symptoms and I was then prescribed with some medication, but what really helped me at the end was not just those tablets but the warmth I received from my family and the help I got from people from my community.
I am personally convinced that everyone is responsible to tackle stigma. Being afraid of criticism and prejudice might be a barrier but surrendering will only make those transparent bars even harder to break.
At the very end, life is beautiful, you do not have to be struggling alone. Healing is in our destiny.
Time to Change Wales, time to smile again.