Irritability and short temper (e.g., Getting snappy and angry outbursts)Īpathy (e.g., He doesn’t seem interested in things he usually loves) So, if you are a man, or a loved one of a man, here are some signs he might be struggling with some painful stuff: This can be a hard task for men who were taught to be silent about their emotions. That’s because most of us ask our clients to describe their thoughts and feelings.

To make matters worse, psychologists and other mental health professionals aren’t great at identifying mental health issues in men. But that can be hard to do when you feel like you can’t talk about it with anyone. This leads to a vicious cycle – when men feel worse, they go back to using the same unhelpful strategies, which make them feel bad again.īreaking this vicious cycle means learning new coping strategies. These strategies usually only work temporarily, if at all, and tend to make the emotional turmoil worse. Men who hide their unpleasant emotions often turn to ineffective coping strategies, such as alcohol, isolation, and anger outbursts. Hundreds of studieshave shown that men suffer more when they try too hard to suppress their difficult emotions for fear of appearing less manly. Sometimes, however, trying too hard to “act like a man” can be devastating, especially when you are struggling with something like anxiety, depression, or trauma. For example, acting cool, calm, and collected are highly desirable features in first responders and ER personnel. This isn’t necessarily always a bad thing. Many men learn that being a “real man” means showing little emotion, even in the face of overwhelming stress. If you do a quick Internet search, you can find all of the Op Ed articles arguing both for and against the spirit of the document. The American Psychological Association has made a lot of headlines recently over the publication of the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Men and Boys.

Men suffer in silence