FOR generations, many men have been taught, directly or indirectly, that strength is silence.

They are expected to be providers, protectors, and pillars of their families and communities, often carrying the burden of financial pressures, work demands and personal difficulties without complaint.

Too often, in that environment, admitting sadness, anxiety, poor sleep, emotional distress or sexual and reproductive health concerns have been seen as a sign of weakness rather than as an act of responsibility.

So, it’s a welcome and important development that more and more men are prepared to seek professional help.

There has been a change in the Mental Health Unit at the Ministry of Health, where more men are coming forward to speak openly about mental, emotional, sexual and reproductive health concerns, and are seeking help for issues they may have previously ignored or hidden.

Such a shift should be made and be welcomed.

“There was a time when men would never go into a health facility and directly say that they are feeling sadness, sleeplessness or having disturbing thoughts,” said Dr. Bhiro Harry, Head of the Mental Health Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. Rather, they may talk about being stressed, tired of not being able to concentrate, or just “having problems.”

Increasing numbers of men are voicing their concerns and seeking help.

This is a change of great importance far outside the consultation room. It’s a challenge to deep-seated ideas about masculinity.

A man who seeks healthcare is not avoiding his responsibilities; he is taking them seriously. After all, a man can’t take care of his family, be productive at work, or be there for those he loves if he is not taking care of himself.

This is especially true regarding mental health.

Sometimes untreated emotional distress will not stay in its place. Dr. Harry’s example of a person who suffers from poor sleep and then turns to alcohol as a way of coping, shows how one problem that is not resolved can turn into another.

The lesson is clear: Self-medication is not a cure. Such difficulties with sleep, sadness, anxiety, coping, and other daily changes that persist for long periods of time should not be dismissed as “just stress”. Alcohol and other unhealthy coping mechanisms can offer temporary relief, but they can also worsen the original problem, and create new problems.

The same need for transparency applies to sexual and reproductive health.

These concerns have long been a stigma in themselves, with some men suffering in silence or waiting to see the doctor.

But mental health is often linked to sexual health. Stress, anxiety, depression and relationship issues can affect a person’s sexual well-being, and sexual-health issues can then affect confidence, relationships, and emotional health. Silence is not good.

Of course, there is still a very long way to go.

Dr. Harry observed that the stigma hasn’t gone away, and some patients are worried about being seen when seeking care. And that is exactly why the progress being made now should be supported, not taken for granted. Families, workplaces, communities and institutions all have a role to play in making sure men don’t feel ashamed to say when they are struggling.

Mental health care is changing, too, helping to make support more accessible. Greater training of General Medical Officers and nurses, and greater awareness and use of teleconferencing services are helping take mental health care beyond the traditional model of patients travelling long distances to reach a specialist.

But services alone are not enough. People must be ready to use them as well.

One of the most important takeaways from this discussion may be the simplest of all: Communicate.

Get the family talking. Talk to a friend; talk to your healthcare provider. Talking things out doesn’t fix everything, but silence can weigh a lot of problems down. As Dr. Harry has said, it is often the case that once one person begins to talk, others may also be willing to talk about what they are going through.

There is no health without mental health. Guyana has to keep normalising conversations around depression, anxiety, stress, sleep and sexual and reproductive health. “It’s important to begin to release the old concept that strength is only about suffering in silence, particularly for men.”

True strength is knowing when something isn’t right, and doing something about it.

So, the increasing number of men walking through the doors of the Mental Health Unit, openly talking about their struggles is more than a welcome trend; it is a sign of evolution. This should be encouraged in every community, every workplace, and every home.

Asking for help is not a weakness. Sometimes that’s the strongest thing a man can do.