It’s amazing that now in modern society, men still struggle with the idea of talking about their health. And while there are many out there that are taking a proactive approach to reducing their stress levels or go and exercise more, men can still feel sensitive about numerous medical subjects. Is there a real reason behind this and what can men do to really help themselves?
Does It Minimize Their Masculinity?
Unfortunately, we all learn from our parents. If we have fathers that are the stiff upper lip type, the characteristics will inevitably filter through into the children. This is a crass generalization, but if there are father’s that took the approach of just getting on with it, it seems that the modern man will only truly learn a lesson if it comes through an extreme emotion like grief. It seems that a lot of men only decide to go to the doctor if someone close to them left it too late. And before this, it seems to be all about maintaining some form of masculinity, that a “real” man doesn’t go to the doctor, or admits that they are weak.
Sensitivity About The Subject
Whether it’s something like erectile dysfunction or bladder weakness, these are issues that men can feel very sensitive about. And as we can all feel that these functions are meant to work properly, it’s important to communicate that there’s a lot of help out there. Whether this is through a male catheter, counseling, or the magic pill for erectile dysfunction, if a man feels really sensitive about a specific issue, but they don’t realize there’s enough help out there, it’s hardly surprising that they won’t go to the doctor.
That Inability To Open Up
This is especially true in terms of mental health. If a man feels that they can’t open up to their partners, how can they open up to a professional? Unfortunately, one of the best approaches is to nag; that approach of, “if you don’t do it for yourself, at least do it for me or the children.” But it’s something that seems to work, although we can cause a lot of domestic strife in the short-term. Getting men to open up is about taking the lead. And we can do this by ensuring that we go for regular checks, as well as our children, and if we can start as soon as possible, this can provide them with the kids to go and get themselves checked out if there’s an issue.
When we look at the face of it, women are more likely to live longer and are less likely to die from injuries or even suicide. This may be down to the fact that men are reluctant to go and get medical treatment. But, we may have to look at cultural traditions. And if it’s a learned pattern, we should take some initiative, and start to implement things like talking therapies, and just encourage men to open up. A lot of men still struggle to talk about their health, but shall we start to break down the stigma?
