Discuss Life

  For many people Mental Health problems, acute or chronic, are seen as a battle, something to be fought with ardour and endless determination. Almost as though having a Mental Health Diagnosis or issue is forbidden, the taboo illness of the medical and social world. After all, if one has diabetes and has to inject whilst at work or out with friends and family, some people may be inquisitive, ask questions, be understanding etc. But take time off for stress, depression or anxiety and the comments begin to fly, "we all have stress, get over it", "I am 'depressed', especially in todays climate, who isn't!" "so what, we all get anxious about...., doesn't mean I take time of work!", and so many other quotes have been heard. So what about Me? What can I, or what am I supposed to do? Wow, those words are joy to the philosophers, they love those open ended questions, those questions without an empirically correct answer, ones where even

How often do you hear someone say "he never talks to me", "he never tells me....",  or "I wish he opened up", etc.?  Probably, more frequently than you here the opposite, "she never talks about....".  As a man, I can have great conversations, well except when discussing football or rugby, then I am useless. However, I do, or more appropriately, I should say I used to have that age old problem, of withholding my deepest thoughts, considerations, concerns, worries, and emotions.  Not an unfamiliar story, as I am sure there are many who can relate. So why is that, and is it helpful, is it protective, and why, to broadly generalise, is it a trait more frequently adopted by men. Some would say this lack of willingness to share, is a protective attribute that stems back to Neolithic man.  An intrinsic desire, or need to protect the more vulnerable, to spare them the concerns, worries, or fears of the reality, and the dangers of life outside the cave.