Therapy For Men
“ No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, part of the main. ”
- John Donne (poet, 1572-1631)
Men can feel pretty isolated when times are tough. Many men don't feel comfortable seeking help, especially from a mental health professional. It's common for men to feel they should be able to fix the problem themselves or just "tough it out". Many men have been raised to value autonomy and self-reliance at the expense of healthy interdependence. They have been told either outright or in subtle ways that certain feelings are unacceptable and a waste of time.
What often gets overlooked in this way of thinking is the value of knowing how to identify feelings and then being able to express them in an honest, straightforward way. This isn't a weakness, in fact, it's a strength. It's all the hiding out, pretending, and sweeping feelings under the rug, that creates a weak link in your life. When we ignore a problem it gets bigger. Think about it: If we leave a leaky pipe unattended soon we have much more than a just leaky pipe, we have very expensive water damage. Our feelings work very much in the same way. The more we ignore or deny the truth about how we really feel, those feelings fester underground and infect many areas of our life.
Eventually, these underlying feelings do get expressed in the form of addictions, problems controlling anger, conflicts with others, failing relationships, depression, and anxiety. When we bring these very real feelings into the light and take an honest look at them, we are then able to see them for what they are and understand why they are there. This frees up all that energy you were using to keep them stuffed away - energy you can use to move your life forward and live the life you want.