I’ve been vocal about mental health for a long time, but I think it’s been too long since the last time I spoke about it.
November, or rather Movember, isn’t just about growing out your beard or moustache, it’s also there to raise awareness. It started as a way to raise awareness about cancers like prostate and testicular cancer, but it has turned into something more. It’s also to remind us of overall health, and especially mental health.
I won’t call myself an expert in the field of mental health, but I’ve had my fair share of struggles. I feel like this is the perfect time to talk about it again. As men, we don’t talk about our feelings, or we’d rather keep things to ourselves than be vulnerable — and I do that myself.
I’m glad that I have platforms where I can discuss this with people, and I really hope that what I say can at least help one man. It might seem weird, but movies and TV have helped me a lot with dealing with and recognising things I struggle with. I won’t say it’s a coping mechanism, but it’s definitely been an eye-opener.
A movie that I recently watched for the first time reminded me of the reality of not being understood, and it was Dead Poets Society. It has a heartbreaking end, but I do think no movie has a clearer message about how acceptance or rejection can change the whole projection of your life. It’s a film that still feels relevant to our time.
I think one of the biggest issues men have to deal with — that most people don’t know about — is isolation and loneliness. I’m not even talking about longing for love, but for companionship or friendship. Even though we long for it, we won’t admit it, because we’d rather be alone than be vulnerable or a burden.
A movie that comes to mind is Logan, one of my all-time favourite superhero movies. Logan is a guy who goes out of his way to help a friend, but at the same time, he isolates himself from the world. He knows the value of friendships but still chooses not to be vulnerable or accept love and help for himself.
This movie has a tragic end as well, but this time the tragedy is more about acceptance. He finally realises that vulnerability isn’t weakness, but strength. I hope more of us realise that before it’s too late. Being open and vulnerable doesn’t take away from your masculinity — it reinforces it.
I think fiction has a lot of lessons for us; we just have to be willing to see them. Yes, these movies are for our entertainment, but they can also help us cope and grow. Obviously, movies aren’t therapy, but I believe that many of them can do good. They’ve done a lot for me — for one, they’ve given me the confidence to talk about how I struggle with anxiety and depression.
I really hope what I’ve said will raise some awareness and maybe even create a space for discussing things we, as men, don’t really talk about. I hope this Movember will be a turning point. Follow The Movie Guy for more movie, TV, pop culture, and mental health conversations.
