Men Don’t Talk: 7 Myths About Men’s Mental Health That Need To Go

It's time to dispose of these 7 Myths About Men’s Mental Health. Enough is enough!

We hear it all the time.

“Men do not talk.”

“Blokes just get on with it.”

“Real men handle their own problems.”

I believed a lot of those lines for years. It nearly killed me. The truth is, men do feel. Men do struggle. Men do want support. What gets in the way is a pile of myths that do not match reality, but still control how we act.

Let’s call some of those myths out and see what happens when we stop letting them run the show.

7 Myths About Men’s Mental Health That Need To Go

Myth 1: “Talking about it makes you weak”

Somewhere along the line, we confused “strong” with “silent”.

Here is the reality. It takes courage to open up about the stuff that keeps you awake at 3am. It takes strength to put words around shame, fear and pain. Weakness is letting pride keep you stuck in the same dark place for years.

When you speak up, you are not falling apart. You are starting to take control.

7 Myths About Men’s Mental Health That Need To Go

Myth 2: “Other blokes are handling life better than me”

Social media and surface level conversations make it look like everyone else is smashing life.

You do not see:

• The panic attacks

• The sleepless nights

• The arguments behind closed doors

I work with men from all sorts of backgrounds, from tradies to senior leaders and veterans. The biggest shock for a lot of them is realising they are not the only one whose head is a mess.

If you are struggling, you are not the odd one out. You are normal.

7 Myths About Men’s Mental Health That Need To Go

Myth 3: “If I ignore it, it will go away”

This is one of the most dangerous beliefs men carry.

We tell ourselves:

• “It is just a rough patch.”

• “I am just tired.”

• “I will sort it out when things calm down.”

The longer we put it off, the more damage gets done. Relationships crack, work performance drops, health suffers. Sometimes we only take it seriously when something blows up.

Ignoring your mental health is like ignoring a leaking roof. You might get away with it for a while.

Eventually, it collapses.

7 Myths About Men’s Mental Health That Need To Go

Myth 4: “Real men fix their own problems”

Being practical and independent is fine. The problem starts when we apply that to everything.

If your car makes a weird noise, you get it checked. You do not tell yourself to “toughen up and drive harder.”

Your mental health is no different. Sometimes you can get on top of it yourself with good habits and support from mates. Sometimes you need extra help.

Reaching out is not giving up. It is choosing a smarter strategy.

7 Myths About Men’s Mental Health That Need To Go

Myth 5: “If I open up, I will be a burden”

This one is huge.

“I do not want to dump my stuff on my partner.”

“My mates have their own problems.”

“I should be the strong one in the family.”

The people who care about you would rather know you are struggling than find out later that you suffered in silence. They might not always say the perfect thing, but most of them want a chance to stand beside you.

You are not a burden for being human.

7 Myths About Men’s Mental Health That Need To Go

Myth 6: “Talking will not change anything anyway”

If all you have experienced is shallow conversations where people tell you to “think positive”, it makes sense you would doubt the power of talking.

The right kind of conversation is different. When you speak honestly with someone who gets it, your brain starts to see new options. You realise you are not broken. You pick apart stories you have carried for years.

Talking is not the whole solution, but it is often the first crack of light in a very dark room.

7 Myths About Men’s Mental Health That Need To Go

Myth 7: “Mental health stuff is for other people, not someone like me”

This myth stops a lot of high performers from getting help.

The belief is, “I am the one people come to. I will not fall apart.”

Mental health does not care about your job title, bank balance or rank. Trauma, stress and burnout hit all kinds of people. I have seen some of the toughest men I know hit rock bottom.

Getting support does not take away your edge. It gives you the chance to keep showing up without destroying yourself in the process.

So where does this leave us?

If even one of these myths sounds familiar, you are already ahead of the game, because you can see it now.

You do not have to become an oversharer or sit in a circle singing about your feelings. You just have to stop buying into the idea that silence is the only option.

Start small:

• Be honest with one person you trust

• Admit to yourself that you are not ok

• Book an appointment, join a group, send a message

If you want to talk with someone who has lived this journey, I am here. You do not have to stay stuck in stories that were never true in the first place.

If you are done believing the myth that you have to handle everything on your own, you can book a private 1:1 session with me and start working through the real story behind what you are carrying.

If you are not sure what you need yet, but you know something has to change, you can also reach out through my contact page and we can work out the next best step together.