3 Common Mental Health Issues for Men

This blog shares 3 common mental health issues for men. Stigmas around men seeking support for mental health remain prevalent in today’s society. Although the normalization of speaking up has strengthened, multiple factors still prevent men from expressing their struggles outwardly. It can feel easier to attempt to resolve the issues themselves or continue to try to avoid facing them. 

 

There may be worries that their issues or past won’t be understood, and it can feel burdensome thinking of opening up about that to someone new. It takes a lot of time and patience to be able to discuss negative thoughts, feelings, or experiences. Other barriers for reaching out include: work or school obligations, fatherhood, socioeconomic status, or more reasons including combinations.

 

Alongside this, there are cultural and societal expectations for men. Some cultures discourage the act of showing vulnerability, as it displays a sign of weakness. In familial relationships or male friendships, these topics may not be taken seriously. This leaves most men to suffer in silence, and usually cope in negative or unhelpful ways.

 

Therapy in Simi Valley, CA helps you begin your journey towards deeper self-understanding. Make sure to read our blog on How to Validate Yourself! 

 

3 Common Mental Health Issues for Men: Depression

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, over 6 million men suffer from depression each year. However, it often goes undiagnosed or untreated. There are several symptoms of depression that men may experience, that do not always appear to have a direct tie to depression. 

 

More notorious symptoms of depression include low motivation, feeling hopeless or worthless, having low libido, or experiencing suicidal ideation. Men may also isolate themselves, not being responsive or initiating conversations, and having little interest in spending quality time with others. 

 

Suicidal ideation is defined as thinking about or planning suicide. It could be that you aren’t actively seeking to die, but think things such as, “I don’t care what happens to me”, “I want to go to sleep and not wake up”, and more. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call 988, text HOME to 741741, or go to your nearest emergency room. Consider reaching out to a mental health professional to start talk therapy as well!

 

Men may ruminate on perceived failures or short-comings in their lives. Rumination is defined as repetitive thinking or dwelling on negative feelings, causing distress. It can be hard to process these events in any way other than negatively, as shame can fuel this cyclical thinking.

 

Finally, anger can be a lesser known symptom of depression. Men struggling with getting angry easily, or having a difficult time controlling their actions or behaviors, may be experiencing a lot of pain on the inside. Anger can sometimes be the forefront of deep sadness, regret, longing, and embarrassment. 

 

If you believe you are struggling with depression, please know that there is support out there for you. Therapy in Simi Valley, Ca offers in-person therapy with male therapists and female therapists. Make sure to read our blog on Men’s Mental Health is Important.

 

3 Common Mental Health Issues for Men: Anxiety

Feeling nervous, indecisive, or overwhelmed frequently, can all be signs of anxiety. Of course, it’s normal to experience anxiety in certain settings. This could look like meeting new people, starting new opportunities or life transitions, awaiting an important decision, etc. However, anxiety should still be taken seriously, as it can affect the quality of your daily functioning.

 

Overthinking can affect you by delaying decision making, affecting your self-confidence, or causing you to feel paranoid. The mind may shoot off in several different directions, considering all of the possible alternatives – but usually landing on the worst-case scenario. This can be overwhelming, as you may psych yourself out of things, convince yourself of how others perceive you, and more.

 

There is little control over your thoughts, causing one to feel worried and irritable. Frustration can be prevalent with anxiety, as the continuous cycle of “what if” scenarios are flooding through the mind. Physical symptoms usually pair with anxiety that include an increased heart rate, rapid breathing, headaches, sweatiness, and more.

 

Men may experience anxiety over worries of their future. Will they be living the future they desire, what responsibilities will they potentially have to carry, have they made the right choices in career, relationships, and more? All of these questions can be very overwhelming if they are not being processed in a productive way. 

 

Therapy for men in Simi Valley, Ca works to thoroughly understand how numerous factors, such as your childhood, culture, and more, contribute to your current thinking patterns. Make sure to read our blog on What to Do When You Have Relapsed.

 

3 Common Mental Health Issues for Men: Trauma

Whether an event meets a perceived criteria for being “traumatic” or not, the effects of it may still linger and remain in your nervous system. A lot of things can be traumatic, however men may not feel as comfortable expressing or acknowledging that. It ties into the expectations for men to hold it together, be strong, and not be deeply affected by things. 

 

One symptom of trauma is dissociation. It is thought as one “switching off”, in times of feeling very overwhelmed that they can no longer cope. Dissociation may occur when traumatic memories resurface, someone is in the midst of a situation that resembles a past trauma, or are currently feeling highly distressed. You can also think of dissociation as a sort of “mental escape”, where you tune out everything around you. 

 

Harboring difficult feelings as a result of trauma can cause anger to fester inside of you. As time passes, frustration builds with all of the mixed emotions surrounding the traumatic event. There may also be internal conflict as a result of trauma symptoms, causing one to feel overwhelmed. As a result, one may be more prone to outbursts or releasing the anger in unhealthy ways.

 

Coping with trauma can be quite distressing. You don’t want to live life feeling fearful, as this might make you perceive yourself weak or inadequate. Your trauma history does not define you, and you can grow resiliency from opening up about it. Other symptoms of trauma include memory loss, random memory flashbacks to the event, nightmares, avoiding similar situations, and more. 

 

Reaching out for support can feel intimidating. There can be some anxiety and worry around the idea of reopening your wounds, especially to a stranger. Processing the past takes time, energy, and consistency. And with that, you can experience true healing moving forward.

 

In-person therapy in Simi Valley is ideal for those seeking a separate, safe space from their home. Check out our blog on Online Therapy or In Office Therapy to understand what format is best for you. Another great blog to read is ours on if you need Therapy or Medication to address your issues.

 

By seeking out support, you can begin your journey to feeling relief. You don’t have to go through finding the right level of support alone, either. By clicking here, you’ll read our blog on Information About Simi Valley Therapists.

 

Consider calling our therapy group at (805) 774-1506 for a free consultation on how you or a loved one can get started today!

Seek out a validating, safe environment with us today. We will help you get to where you want to be. Our therapists provide trauma therapy, teen therapy, individual adult therapy, LGBTQIA+ therapy, anxiety therapy, depression therapy, family therapy, and more in-office in Simi Valley, CA.