JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As June marks Men’s Mental Health Month, a Jacksonville mental health counselor talked about ways to break the stigma around the topic.
WATCH: Local group works to help men tackle mental, physical health
Mental health can be a tough topic for anyone, but for men, talking about it can feel even harder.
“I would say Men’s Mental Health Month is an opportunity to highlight the fact that men also have mental health,” Melissa Brown said. “Men also have emotions, feelings, thoughts, they also endure mental health struggles.”
Over 6 million men suffer from depression per year, but male depression often goes underdiagnosed, according to data from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Brown said outdated ideas about masculinity can make it harder for men to ask for help.
“In men, depression can sometimes present in anger and irritability, and people see that in men and they think, ‘oh you know, he’s just being a man,’” Brown said. “When really there’s a possibility that he could be suffering from feelings of deep sadness or depression.”
Experts said toxic masculinity — the idea that men should always be tough, unemotional, and self-reliant — often prevents them from acknowledging what they’re going through.
“I actually meet with a lot of men in my practice, and I encourage them to take it slow and maybe practice with expressing more of the positive emotions,” Brown said. “Practicing expressing those emotions a bit more could be less challenging and then working your way up to more of the difficult emotions.”
Whether it’s a friend, a loved one, a doctor, or a counselor, reaching out can make all the difference.
Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.
