Tia’s Song
Grief is rough, things get tough
I had setbacks, there are things I can’t get back
It gets hard, seeing friends with their moms has left me scarred
I get sad, and this loss has left me feeling mad
I want to punch things, the thought of her pulls at my heartstrings
But some days are brighter I get reflective thinking of her and how she was a fighter
It makes me happy knowing she isn’t suffering Knowing she is in a better place is a blessing
I think to myself I have to get over it to move on And this is why I call this poem “Tia’s Song.”
By,
Xavier Winfrey
In recent years Mental health as a whole has become a less criticized topic. As most people are gaining awareness of mental health, Men’s mental health is often ignored. Stereotypes that men have believed that they have to live up to has suppressed thousands and continues to suppress thousands of men’s emotions. In this essay we will discuss the importance of Men’s mental health and go more into the reasons it has been so stigmatized.
From a young age, boys are taught to conform with unequal standards. These stereotypes that these boys are being taught to conform with suppress the boys emotions. Things such as crying or being upset are seen as weak for men. Since the stereotype is for men to be strong and aggressive, It suppresses the boy’s ability to express his emotions. Due to the stereotypes the boy feels trapped and cannot express his emotions due to fear of being considered weak. Because of this they bottle up their anger and don’t tell anyone how they truly feel. As they grow up they keep these same habits due to the stigma. Eventually all this pent up anger will be released and will contribute to the stereotype of males being aggressive.
Another Issue Similar to the stereotypes is the toxic stigma on masculinity. This ties into the stereotypes being a main cause of mental health issues in men. Toxic masculinity is a large aspect that pushes the young boys to become like the stereotypes. Men due to the inability to express their emotions will instead convince themselves that this is the way to be masculine. This causes them to become toxic to live up to the aggressive stereotype of men. Making them become more hostile due to their anger they have pent up. Often they slowly become more and more toxic as they slowly unintentionally release their anger onto everyone they care about.
For men’s mental health to become easier to understand we need people to be aware of the stereotypes on men and try to stop discussing them and instead try to support the people around them regardless of their gender. Less support is given to men due to all of the eventual emotional outbursts that harm everyone they care for. Making it seem like men are aggressive. Instead of just labeling these people as aggressive we need people to support these men through their emotions.
If it weren’t for these unfair stereotypes placed onto people we would have a more equal and accepting society. This is why it’s Important to celebrate Men’s mental health. The more people that understand the problem the more likely the next generation will grow up without these harsh stereotypes. With the awareness of people, Men may finally be able to open up about their emotions to others without the fear of being judged and labeled as weak.
To conclude: The harsh stereotypes of toxic masculinity and aggression onto men cause men to bottle up and suppress their emotions. Due to the hostile and seemingly emotionless male figures around them and others that teach these stereotypes into the minds of young children. This causes the children to grow up suppressing their emotions until they have an emotional meltdown and or outburst. Which ends up contributing to the toxic stereotypes. The only way to stop this toxic repeating cycle is to support these men through their emotions and teach the young boys that it’s okay to express their emotions and their true self.
By,
Jacob Tolay
