Showing Support: Helping men overcome challenges

SEBASTIAN DROESLER of Counselling Hong Kong discusses male mental health challenges and how to combat them.

When it comes to men’s mental health, dealing with low mood, inner unrest and anxiety often goes unseen even by those close to the men in our community.

According to Sebastian, studies show expat workers present signs of anxiety, burnout and depression far more frequently than domestic workers. When asked to pinpoint what their lives lacked most compared to back home, expats talk about missing their friends and family, and the fact that they compete in a frenetic work environment.

For many of us, this common struggle results in a sense of exhaustion, loneliness, isolation and often guilt. Mental unease can then manifest in a variety of ways, including nervousness, withdrawing socially, shyness, homesickness, low mood and mood swings, lack of energy and insomnia.

Sebastian finds that men, in particular, are prone to feel alone and lonely and often don’t help themselves by making things worse. “Men react with unhelpful choices of self-soothing, like eating and selfmedication, including drinking.” He continues, “They tend to make unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as going to bed late and reducing their exercise.”

“In my practice, I see men attempting and failing to battle mood, stress and emotional episodes by themselves. Fathers, in addition, don’t want to burden their loved ones, which in turn makes it harder for those around them to spot the signs and to help. This means they suffer in silence. Some of them put on a brave face for fear of showing weakness and criticism.”

The most effective way of dealing with longer periods of low mood, anxiety and depression is a combination of a supportive close social fabric and the personal development and cultivation of inner strength.