Years ago men usually were expected to be head of the household, the breadwinner, or the one who puts on a strong face. However these expectations are still prevalent in modern times.
When men feel pressured to ignore their emotional needs over a fear of being “weak” it puts a band-aid on a deeper scar.
When boys are told to hide their emotions they are taught that their needs don’t matter and they’ll carry that unwritten rule of “men don’t cry.”
If anyone ignores their mental health long enough something has to give. Leaving boys to fend for themselves emotionally can add to stress and isolation.
WJPS senior Hamza Ariyan shared, “Being a guy does play into that because I feel like being emotional can be seen as a weakness to other guys.”
Edward Morales, another WJPS senior added, “I always lived with the mentality that men should never show emotions and to always be tough since that’s what is expected from us guys and the way I grew up.”
It also hurts women because when men are so used to having to conceal how they feel, they might think women are too sensitive when really both genders have to deal with adversity, even if they handle it differently.
Asking for help is brave and takes guts, regardless of gender.
