As a man we all seem to be taught from an early age that to show emotion is a sign of weakness. That no one will respect you if you are too emotional. That you must be hard in all situations.
And yes in this world, being a man does mean being hard, or risk falling victim to the cold and harsh realities of life. But this does not mean we should be cutting ourselves off completely from our emotions as most tend to do.
This cold detachment from the world and everyone around us tends to lead to men being far
less equipped to handle situations of intense emotion. Results in them losing the ability to empathise with others. Leaving most men unable to deal with and process their feelings in a healthy way. Causing them to drown in a sea of negative emotions.
Most of the time men tend to deal with these negative emotions by either withdrawing from family and friends, consuming alcohol to numb the pain or engaging in reckless behaviour to distract from the underlying issue. All of this though only leads to a greater sense of isolation, difficulty forming meaningful and healthy relationships and sometimes leading to both physical and mental health problems.
As men it's time we deal with our emotions in a healthy way, and not just bottle them away in a deep dark corner in our minds to fester and rot away at our soul. This can take many forms from simply showing vulnerability and talking to someone about your feelings; to seeking professional help from therapists and counselors, people that can help you process your feelings in a healthy way. Too many men suffer in silence simply because of the stigma put upon them by society, but we can no longer let these unresolved issues poison our hearts and minds. It's time we begin to break the stigma. It's time we acknowledge those emotions we are told to keep down. We need to do better, not only for our own well being but for those around us effected by this.