This past month has had a lot of conversation of domestic violence, mental health, personality disorders, much more due to the Depp vs. Heard trial. Though I am not going to give my opinion or professional advice about the trial, I would like to focus on one aspect that I have seen happen and I believe is monumental in the mental health field. Since the Depp vs. Heard trial has begun, there has been more talk and awareness of men’s mental health and men experiencing domestic violence. In the past, and often still, men are told and expected to be “tough” and leave the emotions for the girls. However, with this case, men are gaining a platform to do the exact opposite. So, this blog... is for the boys.

The facts are men are more at risk for succeeding in suicide attempts and it is the 7^th leading cause of death among males. Why is this? Some risk factors can be social isolation, substance abuse, unemployment, genetic predisposition, and so much more. However, it is hypothesized there is a gender role and social norm aspect that plays a heavy role. That aspect is this expectation of men to always be strong, take care of others, and show no weakness. This can cause a lonely life and lead to road that is scary. Though the world may be expecting men to “man up”, that does not mean one cannot reach out for help.

Reaching out for help can be scary and feel as though one is going against the norm or the expected, but it can be so worth it. The mental health field is consistently growing and learning more ways to be inclusive and adapting to help clients feel comfortable and safe. There are male counselors, online platforms, group therapy, and so many other ways to ease into getting help if needed. It should not take a famous actor to bring awareness to men’s mental health, but I do hope in seeing the drama of the trial, it normalized that even the best and famous need help too.

Below are some resources for men’s mental health…

-https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/men-and-mental-health

-https://www.mhanational.org/infographic-mental-health-men

-https://headsupguys.org/

-https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Not-Boy-Robert-Webb/dp/1786890119/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

No one has to ever be alone. If you are struggling and scared to take that next step, this is you sign that you are strong enough and brave enough to do it. If you need help or someone to walk the journey with you, reach out to me and we can start this path together.