Don't Man Up, Speak Up: Making Men's Mental Health a Priority

BusinessWire India

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 20: At a recent event on why prioritising Men's Mental Health is the need of the hour, Niharika, a mental health counsellor and founder of Therapy with N from Chennai, spoke about the stigma around men's mental health and how as a community, we must actively work towards creating safe spaces for men.

It is 2023 and though we are progressing in a lot of areas globally, there is still a lot of stigma around seeking help for mental health, especially w.r.t. men's mental well-being. In recent times we are seeing many deaths of men who are just in their early 40's, in good physical health collapsing due to cardiac arrests, mostly caused due to stress. And also if we take statistics into account the suicide rates are higher in men than in women. What do you think the primary reason for this is?

From the very beginning, the role of a man is usually to be a provider in our society and our society has long perpetuated harmful stereotypes that men should be stoic, self-reliant, and unaffected by emotional struggles. However, this mentality often discourages men from seeking the help they need, leading to a higher likelihood of undiagnosed mental health issues.

"I have dealt with male clients who say they haven't cried in years and some don't know what they are feeling or how to even express those emotions. Due to gender stereotypes, from childhood men are exposed to statements like 'Boys don't cry' or 'Don't be a crybaby', as they grow up they feel being vulnerable is a sign of weakness," said Niharika.

"One of the main barriers to men's mental health is the persistent stigma attached to seeking help. As a community, we must actively work towards creating safe spaces for men to be vulnerable and express their emotions and also normalise help-seeking behaviour. This can be achieved by encouraging men to view therapy as a sign of strength and self-care, rather than weakness, which can help dismantle the stigma and create a more supportive environment for men's mental health," she added.

At Therapy with N, Niharika, a certified mental health professional works with clients both India and abroad both online and offline and offers therapy sessions to help individuals improve their mental health. She also works with a number of corporates prioritising the mental well being of their employees. She can be reached via her website: therapywithn.com or through Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapy.with.n/

"Let's Break the stigma, one conversation at a time".

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