This is an issue that hits home for me.

Mental health is no joke, but often it’s treated as if it were when it comes to men.

I’ve posted fairly often of my own struggles with my mental health, and even in those posts I barely begin to scratch the surface of the struggles I have faced. I often see the comments commending my bravery, openness, and vulnerability, simply because as a man I am not “supposed” to talk about it.

Well, I can say with 100-percent certainty that if I had not talked about it, I would not be writing about it.

Read that again…

I would be long dead at my own hand if I did not take the steps to talk about and deal with my issues. I would not have my wife, my family, or my friends if I believed that coping on my own is the “right” way to go.

By brushing off someone’s struggles, we cannot foresee the impact we might have on that final decision. If someone is trusting us enough to open up, remember it does not cost us anything to listen. The stigma surrounding men’s health is a crippling and dangerous one that needs to be torn down, and I hope to see this happen in my lifetime.

“Suck it up.”

“Men don’t cry.”

“Man up and move on.”

These are all toxic things that are leading to suicide becoming an epidemic for men, and the stats are only trending upward, which is beyond alarming to see.

We see doctors when we’re sick, surgeons when we need to, chiropractors when our backs hurt…but when our minds are broken, why in the blue hell do we not seek the same help? We often glance over the fact that our brains control literally everything we do, and we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to seek the help when it’s needed. It’s not stupid, you’re not bothering a health professional, you’re worth it—and it’s as simple as that.

Take the time for you, find healthy strategies for you, and when you need the help, just ask.

We all have struggles, none of us are perfect, and no one person has all the answers in the world, but together maybe we can make it a little bit easier to navigate along the way.