It's Men's Health Week from the 10th-16th of June. The focus is on Keeping Boys and Men Healthy, find out more on the official website.
At AccessEAP, we often hear from men that they feel pressure to be seen as invulnerable, stoic, and fearless. This can lead to unrealistic expectations that as a man you should be able to cope no matter what, and "get on with it". Emotions become synonymous with weakness and powerlessness. Men may also dismiss their feelings as unimportant and worry about burdening other people with their concerns.
Men experience emotions just as much as women do, however the pressure not to show emotion or vulnerability means that emotions will build-up and result in what appear to be random and unexpected behaviour. Reluctance to talk about or acknowledge emotion can manifest in all sorts of unhelpful ways including:
- Excessive alcohol use
- Addiction to gambling or betting
- Ending relationships prematurely
- Resigning suddenly from their job
- Stopping activities of interest e.g. sports
- Neglecting friends and family
- Working longer hours
- Communication only via emails or text messages
- Aggression or violence
- Excessive time watching fantasy films, or gaming
What can AccessEAP do to help?
We can provide a comfortable and private space to talk where there isn’t pressure to bottle things up. A person who is experienced in understanding human emotion and behaviour can listen without judgment and without consequence. We can even offer tips or strategies, if that’s what is wanted or needed.
EAP sessions are free and confidential. You choose how much you want to say and what you want to focus on in the sessions.
How to arrange an EAP session
All that you need to do is contact us on 1800 818 728 and our Client Services Team will book you in for an appointment with one of our clinicians.