Scar/ce of internal recognition: destigmatizing men's mental health woes

“Y'all can't handle s*** because you ain't s***,” says a Redditor.

Mental Health Awareness Month is an annual global observance held every October 10, symbolizing a beacon of hope to individuals suffering from emotional instability. It raises awareness, fights  against social stigmatization, and mobilizes support for mental health care and well-being. 

Organized by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) for the theme “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change,” the annual awareness campaign was first observed in 1992 to create “opportunities for people to influence decisions, co-design services, strengthen peer-led approaches, challenge stigma and strengthen accountability.”

As each generation grew younger each year, the cases of depression have slowly crept its way along in an upward trend. Nurx, an American online telehealth and pharmacy platform, revealed that 42% of adults that belong to the Generation Z (Gen Z) are experiencing ongoing depression symptoms, while 61% struggle with anxiety.

While no lone cause has been identified, many factors have arisen—including constant connectivity on social media, relationship constraints, socioeconomic pressures, student responsibilities, and early career tensions—which pose significant attributes to mental health challenges among young adults.

Hence, many advocates for mental health are growing exponentially on social media platforms to destigmatize mental health shame, as well as normalize unbosomed emotions, particularly for the male audience.

These long- and short-form contents online are widely recognized as helpful tools given that they support individuals by pulling them back into reality, giving them a chance to recognize and reflect, and perhaps alleviate their negative emotions.

Mental Health stigmatization against men

Despite its advocacy for destigmatization, many individuals still believe that being mentally aware of one’s condition is an act of human susceptibility because being vulnerable clashes with the societal and cultural scripts that most men are expected to uphold.

This entails the idea that being vulnerable “emasculates” men, implying they are helpless, passive, and easily harmed by outside forces without having much control over the outcome presented to them. 

However, true vulnerability surpasses this feeling as raw strength and bravery requires each individual to face and share difficult emotions rather than hide behind rigid toughness. Psychology Today noted that men crave emotionally vulnerable role models among the 13–30 age group, especially in TV shows like “The Bear,” which portray men sharing emotional struggles and resonating with them in a much deeper sense. 

Being mentally vulnerable and open takes much courage, strength, and self-awareness to appreciate an intimate and emotional human connection. It is a brave act as a human being; and being resilient to express is enough to not fight it alone.

Yet, people—especially men—still struggle with the concept of opening their feelings. Why do they struggle? Because they are afraid that the folks whom they trust the most would turn their backs and use their vulnerability against them. That is why most men depend on smoking, drinking, or substance abuse as a way of coping according to the American Addictions Center.

In an article published by the British publication The Guardian, clinical psychologist Dr. Stephen Blumenthal analyzed several key factors as to why men decline to seek help for their mental health.

Blumenthal noted that men are usually more inclined to communicate through actions when in distress because they find it more difficult to express themselves verbally. Hence, they are far less likely to admit they are depressed or anxious, and decide to keep it in silence or act out when troubled.

“Showing weakness feels hazardous when your position in the pecking order matters, and yet concealing it ultimately leads to greater fragility. Men are acutely shame-prone when it comes to showing vulnerability, fearing it will lower their status in the eyes of others,” he added.

Furthermore, Deakin University’s Social Work Chair Bob Pease in 2012 explored critical masculinity studies on the implications of neglecting emotions and vulnerability in men. He found that males often repress their emotional feelings so others cannot see their vulnerable state.

This inexpressiveness, revealed as one of the major findings in the study, is not necessarily viewed as a tragedy but rather as a prerequisite of preparation because people expect much more of them in terms of power and privilege.

From  a localized perspective, Allyssa Pestelos, a junior Psychology student at the University of the East (UE) shared in an interview with The Communicator how men are more likely to be stigmatized due to societal expectations of their tough role as a provider and protector.

“From a sociocultural perspective, I think men unconsciously enact the societal roles that the Filipino culture has embedded since during the colonization of foreign blood. I think these societal expectations play a role in how men view their feelings and how they respond to them. I think that's one of the stigmas that we’re still trying to break free from,” she discussed.

The continuous neglect of vulnerability by men may result in dangerous implications if not treated properly, and could potentially lead to self-harm and suicide if prolonged.

While many organizations observe numerous celebrations on mental health advocacies to mitigate its effects on people and have positively remediated negative causes, this still does not stop the silver lining of suicide prevention.

Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that Filipino men records higher mortality rates in suicide deaths compared to women, estimating about 4.3 male individuals per 100,000 population, while 2.1 for females per 100,000.

Moreover, former American Association of Suicidology president and University of Kentucky professor Julie Cerel gave NBC News insights in shedding light on the rapidly swelling suicide numbers, especially to mental health advocates that died due to suicide and have not gotten the help they needed for themselves.

"The thing about depression and anxiety, and other mental illnesses or psychiatric conditions, is it typically involves our brains lying to ourselves," she noted. "When depression is telling you you're not worthy, even if we're trained to combat those false beliefs in others, it's really hard to be able to stop and do that for yourself—especially if you've been doing that for other people all day."

This, however, does not pertain as an agenda to neglect other genders. While deaths among men increase rapidly, women, however, are more likely to experience suicidal ideation or attempts. 

In suicidology studies, this phenomenon is often referred to as the “gender paradox,” highlighting  critical differences in the nature of suicidal behavior between genders.

Destigmatization as a means for mental health survival

Gen Z adults tend to distract themselves from their personal feelings so they can be pulled out of their present misery. Although it is an attainable form of coping, this may not diminish the root cause of internal tensions long term.

For many, diverting their attention by focusing on academic and personal works, side quests, and watching shows and movies can become an effective tool to delay or temporarily mitigate their mental awakening, while others use these tools as they are accustomed to fighting their struggles alone—which is emotionally exhausting.

“Bottling up our feelings can be emotionally exhausting, which is why it’s always advised that people seek support from others, even if it’s just a simple hug or just a shoulder to cry on,” Pestelos uttered.

Take Senator Robin Padilla’s remarks about Gen Z during a senate committee hearing where he denoted the younger generation as “weak” and “crybabies.”

This drew critical discourse among new and old generations since Padilla’s insensitive remarks failed to recognize the gravity of the situation. It openly stigmatizes and elicits significant division of beliefs and values, and also lacks understanding and compassion; hence, stigmatization becomes more prevalent from generation to generation.

These are the very reasons why Gen Z are becoming more inclusive to people about their mental well-being—breaking a lifetime-long cycle of mental stigmatization, internal and external pressures, and the psyche of being a burden to someone else.

“The beauty of having to be vulnerable to someone lies in the fact that we learn to be trusting and to care for ourselves enough to know that we have people who care just as much, and maybe even more,” Pestelos said.

“At the same time, it teaches people to be more empathetic, sensitive, and helps us process and regulate our own feelings,” she added.

There is a concept in Sikolohiyang Pilipino (SP) where it coincides very well with mental health awareness called “Pakikipagkapwa,” often defined as how others interact and engage with each other. However, this concept nurtures much deeper learning to identify with one another, enough to have a shared identity.

SP is engraved in the celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month as it recognizes the importance of each other’s “humanness,” despite notable differences in numerous human aspects.

“It’s all about empathy integrated into human connection. It’s about how people learn, use their knowledge to help others, and be a kinder version of themselves to everyone, including themselves,” Pestelos emphasized.

Mental health awareness is more than just a celebration every October; this encapsulates the evolution of human connection that strives to be better as generations continue to evolve. Promoting social destigmatization, openness, and actively listening to others with empathy and understanding implicates a bigger earnestness and trust.

There are hundreds of reasons why someone is unsafe to express their feelings. Yet, there are also hundreds of reasons to acknowledge a feeling and understand that people have different paths to walk on, no matter how rocky or slippery their route may be.

This is a reminder to always have good intentions; intent goes a long way. Do not be afraid to reach out to your friends, family, and loved ones; do not be afraid to become a burden to them, and always check on them.

Everybody has their own battles, and sometimes, most of them are just better at hiding them.

Article: Henry Ramirez

Graphics: Justine Ceniza