Why Every Man Should See a Therapist
While women are often the ones who seek therapy, typically making up nearly two-thirds of therapy patients, multiple studies have shown that men benefit more from the process. Perhaps men don’t like the idea of opening up to a stranger or sharing their feelings.
We want to encourage men to push past their discomfort and seek therapy anyway because it can really help in so many areas of their lives.
Here are some of the reasons why every man should see a therapist:
Men Often Struggle with Their Identity
Many men today struggle with what it means to be a man. Decades ago, the definition was more clearly defined, but nowadays a man can get completely lost. Should they be masculine or is masculinity somehow toxic? Should they show their emotions or not? Should they protect women or is that somehow belittling women?
It is entirely confusing for men, and many have had to grow up without a father figure in the home, or fathers who were there but emotionally absent. And so men look to media and advertising to find clues about who they should be, and this can be incredibly damaging.
Therapy can be a space where men can learn to define themselves on their own terms.
Gain Understanding and Tools for Your Relationships
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus…Have you heard that before?
In their day-to-day interactions, men tend to live on a logical plane of existence whereas women tend to live on an emotional one. No one plane of existence is right and no one is wrong, it is simply how the two sexes are wired.
But, since men often struggle to express their feelings and express themselves in a way their partners can relate to, their relationships can be damaged, causing the partners to grow apart.
Therapy can help men safely explore their own feelings and learn how to relate to and communicate with their romantic or life partners.
Become the Best Version of You
Seeing a therapist doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong with you. Often therapy can be a way to explore who you are, what you want, and how to reach your goals. In other words, therapy can be a means by which you become the best version of yourself. If you hit the gym X times per week to get into the best physical shape of your life, why not hit the therapist’s office regularly to get into the best mental and emotional shape of your life and be a total package?
Get Help for Substance Abuse
Studies have shown that men are far more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with the stress and depression in their life. Therapy can show you how to cope without the need for these substances.
Lower Your Suicide Risk
There has been a disturbing rise in instances of suicide among older men. A contributing factor to this trend could be how men perceive seeking help. When you’ve got to be the strong one all the time and fix other people’s problems, seeking outside help simply may not be considered an option.
But seeking help IS an option. Men need to get help with their issues so they can avoid thoughts and feelings that may lead to suicide.
Help with Fatherhood
As I mentioned earlier, many men have grown up without ideal male role models. Then, they find themselves a father, unable to cope with the challenges and responsibilities parenthood presents. Therapy allows men to discover who they want to be for their children and come up with a game plan to develop this side of themselves.
If you are a man struggling with these issues or any others and would like to explore treatment options, please be in touch. We would be more than happy to discuss how we may be able to help.
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