{"id":7726,"date":"2024-06-26T06:17:29","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T06:17:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/?p=7726"},"modified":"2024-06-26T06:35:07","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T06:35:07","slug":"navigating-mens-mental-health-during-relationship-breakdowns-breaking-the-stigma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/?p=7726","title":{"rendered":"Navigating Men’s Mental Health During Relationship Breakdowns: Breaking the Stigma"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the mental health challenges faced by men, particularly during periods of relationship breakdowns. An article published by Mantle Health[1]<\/a> shed light on this issue, revealing that many men struggle with their mental well-being during family law and legal proceedings, often opting to suffer in silence rather than seek professional support. This trend is concerning, especially considering the emotional toll that such situations can take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/a> Better ways to help Men with their Mental Health – Mantle Health<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“As a single father who has endured family violence, I often felt silenced and defeated in my quest to protect my children, worn down by the system and the exorbitant costs\u201d. \u2013 Andrew T.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The pain of separation hits hard, but losing my kids? That’s a whole different level of hurt. It’s like this heavy weight that just won’t lift, messing with my head in ways I never saw coming. Every day’s a struggle just to keep going, but I’m holding onto hope that one day I’ll have them back in my arms. They’re my rock, my reason to keep fighting through this mess.” \u2013 Nuwan M.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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According to statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) between 2020-2022, there is a noticeable gap between the number of men and women accessing mental health support services. While 21.6% of females sought assistance from health professionals for their mental health, only 12.9% of males did so. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this issue, with females being almost twice as likely as males to utilise digital platforms for therapy sessions.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/a> https:\/\/www.abs.gov.au\/statistics\/health\/mental-health\/national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing\/2020-2022<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landi Freyer<\/strong>, a lawyer at Melmark Law, acknowledges the societal stigma attached to men seeking support services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnfortunately, there is a societal stigma which depicts accessing support services as being a sign of weakness. We are all human, with human emotions and during times of hardship there should be no shame in seeking the assistance of an aligned professional<\/em>\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She emphasises that seeking help should not be seen as a sign of weakness, but rather as a courageous step towards healing and recovery. However, many men perceive accessing support services as an admission of vulnerability, which prevents them from seeking the help they desperately need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychologist, Dr. David Anthony, delves into the reasons behind men’s reluctance to engage with support services[1]<\/a>. He explains that traditional therapy settings may feel uncomfortable and unappealing to men, who prefer the privacy and convenience of digital platforms. Moreover, Dr. Anthony highlights the importance of adopting a strength-based approach in therapy, which resonates better with men who associate therapy with weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/a> Better ways to help Men with their Mental Health – Mantle Health<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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During relationship breakdowns, men often resort to withdrawal as a coping mechanism, avoiding confronting their emotions and seeking support. This withdrawal can manifest in various unhealthy behaviours, including increased aggression and risk-taking activities. However, it’s essential to break this cycle of avoidance and encourage men to open up about their feelings and seek help when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Melmark Law, we prioritise our clients’ mental well-being during legal proceedings. We encourage men to reach out to loved ones or close friends for support and engage in activities that bring them joy and relaxation. By creating a supportive and understanding environment, we aim to guide our clients through the challenges of relationship breakdowns while fostering their emotional resilience and self-care practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We have had positive feedback from males who have engaged with external supports, and find proceedings more tolerable when they feel heard, and their feelings valued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’ve found that reaching out for support wasn’t a sign of weakness. When I felt heard and my feelings were valued, the legal proceedings became more than just tolerable\u2014they became manageable steps toward healing and growth\u201d- Luke I.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion, the stigma surrounding men’s mental health needs to be dismantled to ensure that all individuals, regardless of gender, feel comfortable seeking help when facing emotional challenges. By promoting open conversations, providing accessible support services, and fostering a culture of acceptance and understanding, we can empower men to prioritise their mental well-being and navigate relationship breakdowns with strength and resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you or someone you know needs support:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Men\u2019s Line Australia<\/strong>: 1300 789 978<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lifeline Australia: <\/strong>13 11 14<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Blue: <\/strong>1300 224 636<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the mental health challenges faced by men, particularly during periods of relationship breakdowns. An article published by Mantle Health[1] shed light on this issue, revealing that many men struggle with their mental well-being during family law and legal proceedings, often opting to suffer in silence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7726"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7739,"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7726\/revisions\/7739"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xenodochial-liskov.139-99-238-150.plesk.page\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}