06/09/2026
June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month.
For men to speak up about their pain, fears, struggle, and emotions takes great courage. Many men don’t open up easily. The societal norm often tells them to be strong, be active, and solve problems by themselves.
When he decides to talk about what hurts him, he takes a risk. He puts himself in a vulnerable position rather than a quiet place. He lets you into his world when there are some things that he might not share with anyone else.
If he let’s you know that a behavior, action, or words you say bothers him and you choose not to listen, not to acknowledge that issue or even say sorry for your part, your message is clear.
❌ You ignoring him as a response.
❌ You avoiding him as a response.
❌ You treating his concerns like nothing as a response.
When the person that he trusts most ignores his concerns after making them known, the desired balance in the relationship is disrupted. It implies that his emotions, his feelings, and his pain are meaningless. It shows that what is causing him hurt is not even worth addressing.
Many men stop sharing about their burden not because their issues are resolved but because they realized how pointless it was to share in the first place. The indifference shown by society or, sometimes, those who are closest to them is one of the reasons men don’t speak up.
This leads to many men silently suffering from their pain.
The truth is that men experience the highest rates of completed su***des in the U.S. Additionally, they are the least likely to reach out to professionals for help. There are many men out there suffering behind a smile, behind their obligations, and under the impression that no one wants to know about their pain, worst yet, no one cares.
There is no need to agree with everything he says or know all the solutions. Acknowledging his pain, showing empathy and understanding, and showing that it mattered can make a huge difference in their lives.
✅ Listening matters.
✅ Support matters.
✅ Actions matter.
You will never know if that particular reaction could have been the turning point between more men suffering in silence and a path toward healing and peace. Listening and paying attention to their emotions and their experiences could make a huge difference.
❎ Check on your men.
❎ Listen to them.
❎ Believe them.
❎ Take their concerns seriously.
In some cases, peace started with just being heard.
Dr. Troy Campbell
***deprevention
