Week of 7.1.19

Breaking the specific expectations for genders will be a long and slow process. As the “Philosophical Origins of Patriarchy” article mentions, these expectations have been around for millennia. I do believe that the average person does not know or care about what Aristotle or Plato said thousands of years ago, but they hold beliefs stemmed from religion. Even when an individual is not particularly religious, chance are that they were brought up in a religious background. That, at least in western culture, means that men are the “head of the house” and women “bare and raise children”. Men are expected to go through hell and back for the sake of providing and women are expected to be comprehensive and flexible for the sake of the children. Those rigid roles do not bode well for these times and are slowly changing, and both men and women are stepping outside the box. It’s up to us as individuals and as part of the community to encourage people to seek out help when they needed, to treat everyone as equals and to stand up for the rights of all individuals. Realizing that no one should be deemed inferior or superior because of their gender, race, or background. That being said, I am aware that history has a tendency of repeating itself and change can come very slowly. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.

When I read that men die by suicide at a rate of 3.54 percent higher than women I was surprised, but in my opinion it all comes down to the stigma of mental health. For generations, men have been the hunters, the protectors, the providers for their families. If they were “weakened” by an illness, who would care for their family? In my short time in medicine, it seems that people feel they have more control over their mental health than they do over their physical health. With the latest research on brain chemistry and brain related changes associated with mental illness that may not be true at all. It is important that we explain mental illness in a way that is equal to physical illness, for those with depression or anxiety to seek medical care just as someone with chest pain would.

When discussing the likelihood of a person seeking help for their mental health two very important components must be considered: gender roles in society and cultural norms. While in most cases the two go hand-in-hand, one must look at each component individually to fully understand how each gender is affected by mental health and how likely are they to ask for help. Let’s first consider men and cultural norms. Around the world it has been well established that men provide for a home and women care for the home. This deep-rooted tradition in various cultures is likely responsible for the “toxic masculinity” as described by Dr. Raymond Hobbs. Perhaps most men subconsciously feel as though they need to prove their masculinity due to the pressures of assuming the role of a provider. Showing any vulnerability may be a sign of weakness and therefore would give the impression that the man is unfit to provide. Mixed with the gender roles that are also established in society, it may be even harder for a man to ask for help due to the added pressure. In society men are usually depicted as protectors and stronger than their female counterpart. It is more likely for a man to be asked to carry something for someone than a female. A man is usually asked to walk a woman back to her car in the night rather than another female. The social constructs are set in years’ worth of cultural tradition and growth. For men to constantly feel as though they need to be “stronger” may have a role to play in their likelihood of seeking help for mental health. On the other hand, women for just as long have had the cultural role of caring for the home. They are also usually depicted as being more vulnerable and weaker. When considering the #metoo movement in the recent years it is important to realize that many women for years before were too afraid to speak up against their abuser due to the stigma of going up against a “strong man.” Unfortunately, many women are still silenced due to this fear. It may seem as though gender roles are set in stone, however, the barriers set by sexism and seeking help for mental health are starting to be broken. It is important to be optimistic and that by spreading awareness and emphasizing just how okay it is to ask for help perhaps more people will be willing to do so despite the pressures of gender roles and cultural norms.