15 Heartbreaking Stories That Prove Even the Toughest Men May Suffer in Silence

Almost 1 in 10 men suffer from depression and anxiety, but half of them will get the courage to seek help and treatment. That’s because men have been traditionally expected to be tough and not show any sort of emotion or weakness. However, it’s time we broke this mold and listened to men who suffer. These stories will make you understand the importance of opening up and showing compassion.

Why do men hide their feelings?

• Because no one cares, and will turn them against you. Just not worth it. Ihatemn / Reddit
• We’re not allowed to have feelings. So, we die of stress-induced heart attacks in our 40s like real men. Bobisburnsred / Reddit
• I hide my emotions in fear of everyone and all the people at school making fun of me. Havoc4926 / Reddit
• I show my emotions when I am with my brother and our close friends, but that’s it. The few times I did it around any girl I was dating, they usually just laughed and asked incredulously, “Are you crying?” You learn when you’re a guy, there’s a time and place. 2HourCoffeeBreak / Reddit
• When I was young, I was pushed into a place where I was basically told that showing emotion is akin to weakness. It got so ingrained in me that I wasn’t even able to emote at all other than a funeral or something. Took a lot of therapy to break that down and even now I still feel weird with emotions around specific environments, but it sure feels better to let it out once in a while. delifte / Reddit

Men share their mental health stories.

• I was depressed for nearly a decade over a one-sided crush that I experienced. I had no family and friends around, and I just allowed myself to fall into the dark hole of depression. I used to cry and cry until there were no tears left in my body. I lost a good 10 years of my life until I suddenly took a decision to go back home and be with my family.
  At the time, my parents lived in the mountains in India. So I went there and spent my time walking around the hills and valleys. Nature helped me restore my balance to a certain extent then. My family was quietly supportive. I began my spiritual journey.
  I took to meditation and this is what helped me totally to come out of my depression, negativity, and health problems that had emerged due to my stress and depression. Today, I am happy and enjoying life and have learned to live an aware life. I am still in the process of reinventing myself. Anonymous / Quora
• I have been living with depression for almost 2 decades, and I started the treatment about 6 months ago. I see a psychiatrist regularly and take meds when needed. Don’t always depend on meds to get you through. Regular exercise, a good diet, and doing what you love.
  Once the meds, diet, and exercise get you going, focus your energy and time on things you love doing. This will rejuvenate your spirit and bring joy to your life. Self-discipline will take you there.
  Nishanth Muthu / Quora
• I realized that living with bipolar is a full-time job. It takes work. Instead of languishing in self-pity and feeling like a broken person, I got up and took it upon myself to do what it took to deal with the illness.
  Getting on meds was a massive move in the right direction, and I credit them for a huge part of my success. Also, journaling. Getting my thoughts out on paper so I can process them and look back on them later was one of the most critical things for turning my life around. lotrfan2004 / Reddit

• I hit my personal rock bottom, mentally, and ended up in therapy for depression. I waited way too long to seek help, and I wish I had done so much earlier. I had to enlist some help from my family as well. I live 3+ hours from any of my good friends and family, so it helps to have some people check in on me regularly and keep me from self-isolating too much. irish52084 / Reddit
• I am 18. I don’t think I have anyone to talk to about this. I have been feeling really lonely, demotivated, and depressed recently. I seriously am suffering from something, but I don’t know exactly what it is. I tend to be weak and cry really often when I am alone. I have stood up for my friends every time, but now I can’t even help myself.
  Sometimes, I suddenly get my legs shaking and my heart rushing. I don’t know how to help myself. A couple of my friends have even mailed a counseling organization to seek help, but I don’t think I am comfortable talking to anyone about this. Only 2 of my friends know about this, but I don’t think they are taking it as seriously as they should. Anonymous / Quora
• Two summers ago, I was having self-destructive thoughts. I wrote that in my journal and my dad went through it and found it. He threatened me with it, so I was afraid to say anything. Nobody offered me help. So, I kept everything inside.
  I hid everything. I smiled a fake smile and lied about everything. My parents eventually started limiting me to everything. I wasn’t allowed to sit in my room. I wasn’t allowed to write. I wasn’t allowed to sit on the couch and watch TV. Nothing. I had to socialize, which I suck at.
  My parents put me in therapy. She asked if I had ever had self-destructive thoughts. I made the mistake of hesitating and devastatingly my voice broke when I said no. She bit her lip and asked me again. I started crying. I told her I was having the thought right then, cause I was and yes I had tried. Twice.
  I was continuously doing therapy and was helped all the time. My dad looked at me in a different way though. I still have thoughts. I had an incident the other day but am working through it. I always keep in mind what it would do to my family if I did do it and that stops me, and I continue to hope it does. Anonymous / Quora

• I beat it just not long ago. You do have to be aware that it can creep back upon you. I was gradually put on medication and I had a few MRI scans and blood tests due to worries about a brain condition and Zinc deficiency.
  It takes willpower and time, things don’t happen overnight. My psychiatrist and psychologist told me to plan an activity diary to keep me busy. Basically, to do one thing every hour that would keep me occupied.
  I got gradually better because I knew what lifted my spirits. I would suggest first of all writing out lists of what makes you happy. Then achieve what makes you happy. If you’re anxious, then maybe start off small. Charlotte Moss / Quora
• I was depressed for 25 years. I have been depression free for over 10 years. What helped me was finally finding the right doctor who knew the right medicine to give me.
  I had taken a great many medicines before that did not help at all. I had seen many doctors before who did not help at all. I’d spoken with therapists, psychologists, and social workers. In the end, it was perseverance and luck which helped. Leslie Noland / Reddit
• I did nothing day in, and day out. For years at a stretch. Throughout my college years, I’d sit in my house for months on end and watch television. I never played sports, studied, or talked to people either.
  Gradually, the feeling of indifference started creeping in. It started with me losing all interest in having a career or a job or any kind of progress. Then I started questioning if things, like money or relationships, even matter. And finally, one day I caught myself thinking, “I don’t really care if a bus hits me.”
  A small part of my mind, in a rare moment of clarity, thought, “This is more than just laziness and procrastination.” And that’s when I started fighting back. Bit by bit. Small steps.
  Those small steps have gathered into large leaps now, where I feel content and aware. Sometimes that phase of my life, that state of mind, and those thoughts, still want to pull me back into a sense of false comfort to start with. Mallikarjun Pandya / Quora

• I was in extreme depression for a period of over 6 months around 10 years back and everyone had considered me a vegetable and good for nothing. Doctors and therapists had no solution except sedatives. It was like I was a dead man, no one around me was alive for me.
  Then, one fine day, I accepted my situation and turned the whole thing around. I accepted all of it and smiled and used it in a sunshine way. My family tried to support me in my worst moments, and they couldn’t do much, then I realized it was me who had to get up and smile and change myself.
  Even today, I am numb and emotionless. I cannot connect and attach to anyone, and cannot understand happiness and sorrow. However, I have evolved, and I have risen above everything and all desires and emotions. KK Win / Quora
• I’m a 24-year-old Indian. I suffered major clinical depression for two years, and I’m still recovering. I tried so many things which made me feel good when I was depressed. Though they make you feel good for a very small amount of time, it’s all worth it when you are in such a mess.
  At first, when it started, I wasn’t able to control my thoughts. I was going back in the past. I was breaking down at every moment. I used to break down while taking a shower. I used to break down while eating my lunch or dinner. I used to break down as soon as I used to wake up in the morning.
  I lost interest in everything that I once used to do. I was not able to focus on my job. Every day I did something that made me feel good. I cooked, I danced, I started writing a blog, I learned photography, I watched movies, I talked to my close friends often, I changed my hairstyle often, I changed my wardrobe, I traveled to a few places where I felt peace, and I have quit my job.
  My job was another reason why I was depressed. It was a depressing job. I have applied for a few job offers. Currently, I’m studying psychology. Anonymous / Quora
• My depression was induced by extraneous reasons, even though I suspect my sensitive nature put me at risk. Once I had an insight into why and how I was going down the tubes, I was able to regain my life with some specific changes in my personal life. It is three years now, and I am living again.
  My recovery has unleashed creativity that I did not know existed. I write poetry, paint with oil and watercolors, make glass mosaics, and now take unique photographs of landscapes, and birds, particularly sunrises and sunsets. There is hope for anyone with proper evaluation and treatment. Suresh Raina / Quora

People can get stressed and pressured from pretty much everything, as life has become too heavy for many. Work, children, family, and a ton of responsibilities are a huge burden. However, you should ask for help, even if it comes from an AI source.