Men’s Mental Health Month: Strong Enough to Speak Up

At Salience Health, we believe that strength isn’t about staying silent, it’s about showing up. For too long, men have been taught to power through pain, suppress emotion, and put everyone else’s needs first. But there’s nothing strong about suffering in silence.

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s time to change the narrative. Because the truth is: men are struggling, and the cost of not talking about it is too high.

The Unspoken Crisis

Mental illness affects millions of men every year, but most won’t talk about it, let alone seek help. That’s not because men don’t feel pain. It’s because our culture rarely gives them permission to express it.

Consider this:

  • Over 6 million men in the U.S. experience depression each year.
  • Only 1 in 4 men with a mental health condition will seek help.
  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death for men ages 25–54.
  • Men die by suicide nearly 4 times more often than women.
  • Men are 2 to 3 times more likely to use alcohol or drugs to cope with emotional pain.
  • Men often report physical symptoms, like fatigue, back pain, or digestive issues—rather than emotional distress.

(Sources: MHA, CDC, NIMH, NIDA, AFSP, 2023)

These stats aren’t just numbers, they’re stories that often end too soon. They represent fathers, sons, partners, co-workers, and friends who never felt like they had permission to say, “I’m not okay.”

Why Men Don’t Ask for Help

There’s no single reason men stay silent, but there are some common patterns:

  • Cultural pressure: Many men are raised to “man up,” “push through,” or “be the provider.”
  • Stigma: Some fear that seeking help could affect their careers, relationships, or self-image.
  • Emotional conditioning: A lot of men never learned how to name or express what they’re feeling.
  • Misdiagnosis: Mental health issues often show up as physical problems in men, which can delay diagnosis and treatment.

And perhaps the most dangerous belief: that asking for help means failure. It doesn’t.

Asking for help is a sign of strength. It’s taking responsibility. It’s protecting the people who count on you, by taking care of yourself first.

What Mental Health Struggles Look Like in Men

Mental health doesn’t always look like sadness or crying. For men, it often shows up in ways that are easy to miss or misread:

  • Anger or irritability
  • Withdrawing from family or friends
  • Loss of motivation or focus
  • Fatigue or insomnia
  • Risk-taking behavior
  • Substance use
  • Chronic tension, headaches, or back pain
  • Numbing out—emotionally or physically

 

These signs are often chalked up to “being stressed” or “having a rough patch.” But they’re symptoms of something deeper, and more importantly, they’re treatable.

 

What Salience Offers Men—Real Solutions, Not Platitudes

At Salience Health, we understand that men often want a plan, not a lecture. We offer options that respect your time, your privacy, and your goals.

 

🔹 TMS Therapy

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive, non-medication treatment for depression that uses magnetic pulses to activate the brain’s mood center, the Salience Network. It’s ideal for men who are tired of trying medication after medication, or who want to avoid medications entirely. TMS has minimal side effects, requires no downtime, and fits into a busy schedule.

 

🔹 Collaborative Depression Care

Our Collaborative Depression Care Program is designed for men who like structure, accountability, and forward momentum. We pair you with a Care Navigator to create a clear treatment roadmap. We set measurable goals, like improving sleep, energy, or motivation, and check in often to track progress.

 

🔹 Skills-Based Therapy

Not every guy wants to sit on a couch and talk about feelings, and that’s fine. Our therapy approach is short-term and solution-focused. We teach skills for managing stress, regulating mood, and improving communication, like tools for your emotional toolkit.

 

🔹 Medication Management

If medication is the right fit, our psychiatric team will work with you to find a plan that’s effective without sacrificing your clarity, energy, or performance. You stay in the driver’s seat the whole time.

 

Men We Help Every Day

We support men in every phase of life:

  • First responders and veterans processing trauma
  • Executives and business owners managing high-pressure roles
  • Fathers juggling family life and identity
  • College students navigating anxiety and performance stress
  • Retirees struggling with isolation or change

The common thread? They all decided to take action. You can too.

 

This June, Let’s Rewrite the Narrative

Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month isn’t just about awareness, it’s about action.

So if you’ve been “off” for a while, if you’re snapping more easily, drinking more than usual, or just not feeling like yourself, it’s time to talk to someone. Not because you’re broken. Because you deserve to feel better.

At Salience Health, we make it easy to take the first step. Confidential. Respectful. On your terms.

Request an appointment or call us today. We’ll talk through your options, no pressure, no judgment, just support that works.

 

Sources

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