Warning: This story contains content that could be triggering to some

As the calendar turns to June, it is now Men含羞草研究社檚 Mental Health Awareness Month, an area that含羞草研究社檚 often overlooked.

Men are over-represented in all of these statistics around being unhoused, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and suicide, said Carol Bilson, director of operations at the Anti-Violence Project.

含羞草研究社淎bout 70 per cent who commit suicide are male,含羞草研究社� she said.

In 2022, of the more than 227 British Columbians who died of suicide, 184 were men. Additionally, there were 2,511 toxic drug deaths in 2023, and 71 per cent of those were men, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.

While the feminist movement did wonders for feminism and what it meant to be a woman, said Bilson, a similar movement within men is needed but has yet to happen.

含羞草研究社淥ur society just hinders men含羞草研究社檚 capacity to connect and relate to others,含羞草研究社� she said.

This can mean having a more challenging time processing trauma, dealing with rejection and becoming violent towards either the person they were interested in or themselves.

含羞草研究社淭he gender expectation that we put on men and masculinity is unnecessary and doubles down the harm.含羞草研究社�

Suicide is the second or third leading cause of death for men aged 19 to 44 and for men aged 15 to 25. Outside of motor vehicle accidents, there is little else killing them, said John Oliffe, research chair in the Men含羞草研究社檚 Health Research Program at UBC.

For many years, we含羞草研究社檝e discussed how traditional ideas of masculinity may have been unhelpful to many men, Oliffe said. Now, there含羞草研究社檚 a focus on the concept of toxic masculinity and the negative behaviours associated with it.

含羞草研究社淲hen you含羞草研究社檙e young, you especially buy into the norms that guide your identity, your role, and sometimes your values, which can be persuasive for many young guys.含羞草研究社�

Bilson said young men and boys are told to bury most of their emotions and are often left with two feelings 含羞草研究社� anger and happiness.

含羞草研究社淲e haven含羞草研究社檛 created a society where it含羞草研究社檚 safe for men to feel. We don含羞草研究社檛 want to be in proximity to men suffering. Two things have to happen. We must get close to men含羞草研究社檚 pain and suffering and understand what含羞草研究社檚 happening.含羞草研究社�

Bilson previously worked with abuse survivors and was compelled to start helping to heal men after listening to the women she had been counselling.

含羞草研究社淎s someone who supports survivors of violence and someone who works with men, I feel like we cannot separate those two. The health and mental health of men determines the safety of women.含羞草研究社�

Gender expectations, in general, are archaic, but expectations around masculinity have not been needed for a long time, Bilson said.

含羞草研究社淎ll those things left these old notions that only men provide and protect. And that含羞草研究社檚 all we require of them, to bring home the bacon. We did a disservice to men, genuinely,含羞草研究社� added Bilson.

含羞草研究社淢en are being asked to reimagine masculinity, and I think it含羞草研究社檚 because of society含羞草研究社檚 ideas of what women were supposed to do, and who was supposed to bring the income and who was supposed to raise children. All of that has been completely flipped on its head.含羞草研究社�

Increasingly, some young men have started turning to 含羞草研究社榯oxic含羞草研究社� male influencers.

含羞草研究社淭he masculinity that they含羞草研究社檙e projecting, first of all, is a familiar masculinity,含羞草研究社� Bilson said.

It doesn含羞草研究社檛 ask people to change, she said.

含羞草研究社淚 always say, the patriarchy sells men fake power. It含羞草研究社檚 an external power. And it含羞草研究社檚 a fake power structure.含羞草研究社�

More men are needed in caring professions like nursing, therapy and education, said Carl Haynes, Men含羞草研究社檚 Education & Research Coordinator at the Anti-Violence Project.

含羞草研究社淲ith the baby boomers aging out and going into retirement and old age, there含羞草研究社檚 going to be an increased need for these care professions,含羞草研究社� Haynes said.

An increasing lack of male educators has also worried Haynes, as there is a lack of positive male role models for young men.

含羞草研究社淭his is where you see other men stepping in, through social media and filling the gap,含羞草研究社� Haynes said.

In May, Our Place in Victoria surveyed the unhoused along Pandora Avenue.

含羞草研究社淚t is about 77 per cent,含羞草研究社� said Grant McKinnon, communications director at Our Place. 含羞草研究社淯sually, it is about 80 per cent.含羞草研究社�

On the vulnerability index, when it comes to the unhoused, men are less likely to move into supportive housing, with the average age of a male on the street being 55.

When it comes to unhoused youth, about 63 per cent of young people in shelters are male.

The reasons why men and women are unhoused are complex, but generally, men are not running and hiding from abusive spouses. And men might find themselves on the street after a mental health concern or an injury.

There is a lot of shame around being unhoused, even for those who eventually find a house. Many men do not want to share their experiences for fear of being negatively judged, said McKinnon.

含羞草研究社淎dding to the problem, men often go into the bushes like a wounded animal and isolate themselves,含羞草研究社� McKinnon said.

It is up to men to help fix other men. Women have been doing the heavy lifting for too long, according to Bilson and is one of the driving forces behind a popular social media trend where women are choosing to find a metaphorical bear in the forest rather than date a man.

含羞草研究社淚t is a very legitimate concern. Because the struggle might be ongoing and permanent, and to be assaulted, to be sexually assaulted, to be abused, to be humiliated, has long-term lifetime impacts.含羞草研究社�

It will be a one-time experience, and it含羞草研究社檒l probably be done, versus a long time of suffering and trying to recover your self-esteem and sense of self-worth,含羞草研究社� Bilson said.

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