Men’s Mental Health Deserves More Than Just a Month
Every June, we say the right things. We post the hashtags, we acknowledge the awareness month, we throw around words like ‘resilience’ and 'bravery'. But here’s the truth: men’s mental health deserves more than a campaign. More than a month. Especially when the stats keep showing us how often men suffer in silence—and how often that silence turns fatal.
As a man living with bipolar disorder, I know how dangerous silence can be. I also know how powerful it is when someone says, 'You don’t have to do this alone.'
The Quiet Crisis: Why Men Don’t Speak Up
Society still teaches boys not to cry. To 'man up.' To fix things, not feel things. It’s no surprise that many men grow up without the emotional vocabulary to talk about what’s really going on.
And when it comes to something as misunderstood as bipolar disorder? The silence gets even louder. There’s fear of being labelled unstable, of losing your job, of being seen as broken. So we downplay. We disappear. We mask our pain with overwork, alcohol, or silence.
But here’s the truth: men’s mental health deserves more than a hashtag, more than a campaign. Especially when the numbers keep showing us that men are more likely to suffer in silence—and more likely to die by suicide.
“Men need safe spaces to break down. To process. To rebuild. Because healing isn’t linear, and strength doesn’t always look stoic.”
Vulnerability Isn’t Weakness. It’s Survival.
Reaching out isn’t weakness. It’s one of the bravest, most honest things we can do. I say this not as a therapist-in-training, but as someone who’s lived the other side of it.
There were moments in my journey where I genuinely didn’t know if I’d make it. What pulled me back wasn’t some grand solution. It was connection. A friend who listened. A psychiatrist who saw through the mask. A moment of stillness where I let myself feel.
Men need safe spaces to break down. To process. To rebuild. Because healing isn’t linear, and strength doesn’t always look stoic.
'The bravest thing you can do might be to speak up.'
To the Men Reading This
This month’s not about performative awareness. It’s about reminding you—genuinely and loudly—that you matter.
If you’re holding too much, please talk to someone. If you don’t know where to start, try saying, 'I haven’t been feeling like myself lately.' That’s enough.
And to the friends, partners, colleagues, and family members: check in. Not just with 'how are you,' but with real curiosity. Ask twice. Hold space. Say, 'I’m here.'
We can’t afford to keep losing our men to silence.
Crystal Ball Reflection
When I look back, I realise that the moments I thought would break me were actually the ones that built my capacity to feel. To connect. To live with more honesty. If you’re in the thick of it, know that it won’t always feel this hard—and the bravest thing you can do might be to speak up.
With empathy,
Shak
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SHAK TODAY
Shak is pursuing his Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (MACP) and will start his practicum in January. He's involved with the Canadian Mental Health Association and he's working on turning his blog, Bipolar Empath, into a book while managing his accounting business.
Stay tuned for more updates on Shak’s journey and the impact he continues to make in the mental health community!
