Masculinity causing men to keep quiet about their depression?

If you're someone who has been told by a family member to ignore your depression, that men can't show they are depressed or have emotions. Maybe it's a father figure, friend, cousin, uncle, brother or even your grandpa. Some will even say to hide your depression and or emotions, even to keep it a secret, because men just aren't supposed to show emotions. Sadly this has pushed a lot of men to keep quiet about their depression.

DO you think that masculinity has caused a lot of men to keep quiet about their feelings and in turn hurt them mentally? I think it hurts to keep everything bottled up, and I think many generations of men were told to keep your feelings in, because they made it out to be embarrassing to show any emotions.

Thankfully times are changing and people are starting to respect men. We all should be able to say how we feel and not be ashamed of it. It's good to see a new generation of young men who are allowed to speak about their emotions without hate.

I think traditional ideas of masculinity play a big role in why many men stay silent about depression. From a young age, men are often told to “tough it out” or “be strong,” which makes showing vulnerability feel like weakness. That pressure builds walls around emotions. Even when they’re struggling, many men hide it behind work, humor, or anger because they fear being judged or dismissed. What’s really needed is a shift in how we define strength, one that includes openness, honesty, and the courage to seek help when things feel heavy.