Silent Epidemic of Men's Mental Health
- Tejal Rathod
- May 15
- 4 min read
Most men don’t break down loudly. They erode silently—behind success, strength, and responsibility.
While they protect, guide, and prove to be materially stabilizing, this group leads—not just at work, but in life—with dominance, charisma, and performance. Yet sooner or later, an epidemic of men’s mental health is emerging to the surface. Why is that so?
Mental health awareness may have gained visibility in the Western hemisphere, while Eastern parts of the world are now giving it more attention—often as a response to global influence. However, the reality is that it has always existed. What has changed is its intensity. In the digital age, the pace of life—driven by speed, innovation, performance, and social hierarchies—has amplified it. More people now have constant access to what others are doing, which has become far more time-consuming than the fundamental question people traditionally asked: What am I doing?
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In this month of Mental Health Awareness, I am intentionally sharing some of my key observations as an alarming need for more actionable focus on men's mental health. My work in counselling and therapy offers me the opportunity to observe deeper insights into the trends and patterns shaping the urban working population. It is increasingly concerning to note that age-old patterns related to men’s mental health are resurfacing with greater intensity.
While more women today are consciously choosing to process and regulate their emotional reserves—and when they commit to inner work with focus, determination, and openness—I often see a parallel dynamic emerging. A significant contributor to this need is the lack of, or minimal, emotional participation and support from the prevalent male figures in their lives, who, by and large, tend to find solace in suppression and avoidance.
One may argue that their way of living aligns more with performance-driven leadership—prioritizing speed, dominance, competition, and control. At its core, this often revolves around a singular underlying question: Who wins? In the process, identities become deeply tied to performance rather than wisdom.
In my observations, a recurring pattern emerges—lack of time, competing priorities, and the weight of responsibilities are often cited as reasons for what can be addressed but continues to be avoided. While most 21st-century urban working men, above the age of 25, thrive on challenge, the pursuit of tangible outcomes and increased social control through force or dominance, unfortunately, becomes a stronger driver of gratification for many in this cohort.
Yet, in reality, many men carry goodness in traces—and need just a little more awareness and intention to achieve a meaningful balance for a more fulfilled life. A life that is guided not only by strategy for tangible monetary and social outcomes, but by wisdom, empathy, and long-term thinking. A life that integrates doing what truly matters.
The real need, therefore, is to cultivate a balance between performance leadership and sustenance leadership—for the self.
What is necessary is:
Knowing what you are not good at is a powerful starting point—it allows you to acknowledge genuine limitations with honesty.
Figuring out what you can, or are willing to do (what truly works for you), and making career and life decisions that reflect that truth.
Saying yes to healthy regulation—especially when addressing the anxiety that comes with avoidant patterns—is critical, because many men unknowingly default to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as excessive work to stay distracted, alcohol or nicotine to numb emotional discomfort, impulsive spending for temporary control, emotional withdrawal in relationships, or overexertion through fitness without emotional processing. While these may offer short-term relief, they often leave the nervous system more dysregulated over time, reinforcing the very patterns they are trying to escape.
Note that while historically these coping mechanisms were more prevalent in men to adopt, they are gender agnostic in modern times.
In understanding that, the only limitations that truly hold you back are the ones you refuse to see. The pretext of avoidance begins to lose its ground. It carries a silent yet heavy cost—one that impacts not just the individual quality of life, but also the well-being of those closely connected to them.
It is, therefore, time—perhaps long overdue—that men begin to embrace therapy, not as a sign of weakness, but as a conscious step toward a better quality of life over a lifetime of silent shame and eventual regret.
Strong men don’t avoid the inner work. They lead it—first within themselves, then in the world around them.
The healthy man does not torture others - generally, it is tortured who turn into torturers. ~Carl Jung
Access your safe space. Take support that matters through mental, emotional, and behavioral stress! Get started with Workplace Counselling/Behavioral Therapy to navigate challenges gracefully.
About Author: Tejal Rathod (she/her) is a 'Management Psychology & Workplace Well-being' Peter Drucker Management Excellence Award-winning expert, Success Coach & Therapist, Author, Speaker, and Founder at eDC (www.elementsdcoach.com), having over two decades of diverse corporate work experience (Ex: IIM-A, Amazon). She believes in leaving a legacy of positive work culture through personal growth and elevating one’s consciousness for meaningful success in life. Tejal engages with Individuals, Professionals, and Organizations worldwide while specializing in Work Dynamics & Culture, Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Behavioral Transformation, Professional Skills Development, Mental Health & Emotional Well-being, and Holistic Lifestyle Coaching.
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Disclaimer: Thoughts or terminology presented in this blog are individual perspectives and are neither meant to cause harm in any form, make any incorrect judgments, present details in full, nor gain undue influence from or promote any (if) mentioned organization and/or entity and/or persons and/or religious beliefs. Details mentioned here are no replacement for any medical advice or interventions. Use your discretion while making inferences or following any guidance highlighted here. This blog is curated primarily through human-led key ideas/design/insights, human-moderated structuring, and AI-assisted minor formatting. Image credits canva.com & wix.com. All rights reserved. 2026 eDC - elementsD Coach Professional Services.
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