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The likes of depression, anxiety and panic disorders are sadly diagnosed consistently, nowadays. This is down to the greater pressures, linked to everyday life, to the world that we all live in.
While this is concerning, where 1 in 4 people will suffer from a degree of mental health side effects, the greatest concern focuses on men’s mental health.
Down to stereotypes, it’s common knowledge that men struggle to open up and share their feelings, especially in comparison to women.
However, through this stigma, through this ongoing stereotype around the perfectly capable masculine man, mental health issues are turning life-threatening for men.
We’re seeing mental health crisis rates advance in relation to male clients. This can be anything from the use of drugs and alcohol as a coping strategy, to self-harm and toxic behaviours.
What’s even more worrying is, that only a small proportion of men will look to rely on professional guidance, and an even smaller number again will look for support from family and friends.
Those findings are very worrying, advancing the need to increase mental health awareness as a whole, yet especially in men, along with boosting knowledge around self-help and professional support. It’s time to unravel the societal stigma attached to men’s mental health, which we are highly passionate about here at Rehab Clinics Group.
If you’re struggling, please feel comfortable to contact our team for support with tackling the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and your exact struggle with this.
The stigma linked to men’s mental health
If we said to you, describe the average man, in most cases, the words masculine, strong, protective and balanced will come up. This is a common stereotype around the male gender.
Down to this societal stereotype, many men believe that they cannot deviate from this, that they will be judged, that they will be criticised. This exact reason speaks volume around why most men struggle to open up about their mental health battles.
Men do not want to be perceived as weak or unwell. Through this, a stigma, linked to men’s mental health has developed, making it even harder for them to speak up.
This saddens us as a rehabilitation clinic, as every individual has the right to access mental health support, no matter their gender.
The stigmatisation has materialised down to society. Great pressures have been placed on men for decades, highly suggesting that many undetected mental health issues have fallen through the gaps over the years.
While diagnoses are currently higher, there are still masses of men, suffering alone through the dangers of mental health issues.
Down to this, we’re taking a stand to empower men by tackling the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. If you’re struggling, reach out for mental health support services, following a compassionate, non-judgmental approach.
The dangers of struggling alone through mental health issues
In general, struggling alone through mental health issues is discouraged. This is a challenging time, where personal and professional support is waiting to help you. However, for men, going it alone is even more discouraged, down to correlating dangers.
It is found that men will lean on negative coping strategies, to cope with mental health issues, greater than women. Here’s where substance abuse comes into play, which correlates significantly with mental health issues.
The worry is that individuals will abuse drugs and alcohol to alleviate mental health side effects. Yet, while at the moment it may feel like a positive step, it will aggravate those side effects, worsening mental health issues, and begin to motivate the formation of an addiction. This is an even more dangerous position to be placed within, standing as a dual diagnosis.
Self-medicating through mental health issues is highly discouraged. This can lead to detrimental results, where physical and psychological health will be impaired. Substance misuse is also linked strongly to suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts while associated with mental health issues, along with overdose risks.
With this in mind, it is very important that every individual, experiencing mental health issues, aim to source support. This is most definitely the message for men, to avoid the dangers linked to unhealthy coping strategies.
Tackling the stigma surrounding men’s mental health
At Rehab Clinics Group, we’re passionate about tackling the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. We do not believe that gender or background should stand as discrimination or as a reason to stigmatise men. Stigmatisation, across society, is causing greater harm than mental health side effects.
This speaks volumes when considering the damage that standalone mental health issues can cause, never mind the extra pressure of judgment.
With this in mind, we urge those in need to reach out for support. This is doable on a personal level, and via professional mental health services, available via our rehabilitation clinics. There are also many resources online to ease the initial experience of mental health issues, offering some reassurance and comfort.
If you’re finding it hard to reach a point where support will be accepted, there are some self-help tips you can follow, including regular exercise, adequate rest, utilising positive coping strategies, using relevant helplines and increasing your personal mental health awareness.
Mental health help via rehab
Mental health help is available through our rehabilitation clinics. We also offer dual diagnosis treatment for those who are struggling with substance abuse.
We can help you, no matter your background, by recommending appropriate treatment services, utilised to treat mental health issues. This can include anything from cognitive behavioural therapy, and prescription medications, to counselling and support groups.
Understandably, you may struggle to initially accept support. This is down to the overarching stigma attached to mental health. However, please be reassured that we are non-judgmental and that all information will remain confidential.
If you are struggling with your mental health, it’s time to open up about your struggles. You’ll help yourself, by also tackling the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. Work with our team to overcome the challenges of common mental health conditions.
