Come on, Guys: We Need to Talk About Our Emotions and Mental Health

My fellow men, I have something I need to talk to you guys about. Throughout the centuries, we have been taught to not express our feelings. We were told that in order to really be considered men, we had to keep our feelings in. Any form of expression would lead us to lose our manhood. We’ve been religiously following this for a long time now. But the question is, has it helped?

I mean, what has keeping our emotions in done to help us in life? Studies have shown throughout the years that doing this is bad for our mental health, but we still have to maintain this status quo. What’s the point?

We have to be honest with ourselves. If there is something we are going through that is bothering us, we need to talk to someone about it. Think about it: if we keep something on our chest that is a burden, then it’ll grow to consume us and our lives. That’s why we have to talk to someone we trust, like a therapist or a trusted friend or relative, so that we can give ourselves peace of mind.

I know what you might be saying; “It’s not that easy.” And you know what, you’re right. This is not easy. It is hard to express ourselves, especially being conditioned for such a long time to not express our feelings. But think about it: this way, did keeping it in make it worse for you? If so, then let’s try plan B. As I said before, this would be talking with a trusted friend, relative or therapist that can be a soundboard and can help you with what’s going on. Take it one step at a time.

Now, I’m not asking you to change your lifestyle. Nor am I forcing you to do this. I’m just offering you a suggestion to help yourselves with anything that might be bothering you emotionally. Mental health is serious and if not treated, it can greatly affect us. Letting it out is the first step. There is much more to this conversation, but this is all I can tell you. It’s your mental health and you have the power to take positive action. The choice is yours.