Men are significantly less likely than women to seek healthcare of any kind, including therapy. Men’s Health Awareness Month is all about increasing understanding and awareness about men’s health issues to help encourage men to seek treatments to maintain their health and wellbeing. In this month’s blog, we’re going to talk a little bit about how beneficial therapy can be for men by addressing some of the common misconceptions about therapy for men. Mental Health Doesn’t Require Treatment Mental health is health, and when you’re struggling, it’s perfectly okay to seek treatment from a professional. If you had a physical injury, you wouldn’t just ignore it until it got better on its own (at least we hope not!), and you shouldn’t forego treatment for mental health concerns either. You Should Take Care of it on Your Own Some people seem naturally more resilient and capable of managing (or ignoring) difficult mental health concerns on their own. It’s important to know that you don’t have to take care of everything alone. Therapy can help you process past issues, learn skills and strategies to better navigate present challenges, and set and achieve goals for your future. Real Men Don’t Need Therapy Mental health issues don’t discriminate based on gender, but statistics indicate men may be at great health risk when they choose to forego necessary mental healthcare. Men are four times more likely than women to die from suicide. Therapy can help men to process mental health concerns, like depression and substance use disorders, that are often contributing factors associated with suicidal ideation. You’re Weak if You Talk to a Therapist It takes strength to admit that you need help and be willing to do the hard work of therapy to heal and grow as a person. Weak people refuse to change and avoid work to improve, so you could say the truly weak people are the ones who refuse to work with a therapist to achieve their goals. You’re Broken if You Need Therapy Maybe we’re all a little broken. In his book, A Farwell to Arms, Ernest Heming, a famous man’s man, wrote, “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” Whether or not you’re broken now, really isn’t what you should be worried about. Instead, consider whether or not you’re going to do the work to heal and become stronger at the broken places. When You’re Ready, We’re Here to Talk Listen, even if you’re well aware of all these facts, we understand that it might be difficult for you to take the first step and call Greater Houston Counseling Services for therapy. It can be difficult for anyone to take this step, but when you’re ready, our knowledgeable therapists are here to talk. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to schedule a men’s therapy session in our Kay, Cypress, or Spring, TX office locations. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
10 Comments
8/30/2021 07:35:03 am
I've been having a hard time with anxiety, and I'm not sure what to do about it. It makes sense that I would want to get a professional to help me out with. I can see how proper therapy could make things a lot easier for me.
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6/26/2022 10:31:19 pm
I really appreciate you talking about how men shouldn't feel weak if they talk to therapists or receive counseling. I've always been told to "man up" whenever I want to talk about my problems, but I just never found that to be a correct way of thinking. I'll talk about this when I find a counseling service I can rely on and visit regularly.
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7/17/2022 04:31:12 pm
Totally agree with your piece, very insightful thank you for sharing this.
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9/14/2022 04:12:29 pm
I didn't know that men are 4x more likely than women to die from suicide. My uncle struggles with his mental health and it makes me worried. I'll have to consider getting him a counselor.
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9/29/2022 06:30:33 pm
I appreciate that you explained that providing awareness could help potential clients to seek help. My cousin told me that he and his friends were hoping to have a friendship circles consultation, and he asked if I had any idea what would be the best option to seek for mental health safety. Thank you for the information, I'll be sure to tell him that it will be much better if they consult a well-known LGBTQ therapist.
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11/24/2022 10:03:05 am
It's great that you explained that mental health problems don’t discriminate according to gender. My friend wants to talk about chronic impulsivity. I should advise her to opt for chronic impulsivity counseling to help her overcome it.
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There are many reasons why men are less likely than women to seek healthcare, including therapy. One reason may be that men are socialized to believe that they should be self-reliant and not need help from others. This can make it difficult for men to admit that they need help and to seek out healthcare services. Additionally, men may be less likely than women to have health insurance coverage, which can make it difficult to afford healthcare services. Another reason why men may be less likely to seek healthcare is that they may be less aware of the importance of preventive care and may be more likely to wait until they are sick before seeking medical attention. Whatever the reasons, it is important to encourage men to seek out healthcare services when they need them.
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