The Most Common Mental Health Struggles Men Face and What to Do About Them
- Arezou Mirzaei
- May 1
- 4 min read
Updated: May 25
By Arezou Mirzaei, A Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC), Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Psychology Instructor.
Let’s cut to the chase: Men are struggling, and many are doing it in silence.
Society still pushes this idea that men need to “man up,” stay strong, and handle things alone. But that approach? It’s costing men their peace, their relationships, and sometimes their lives.
Let’s talk about the top mental health issues men face and more importantly, what you can actually do about them.
Depression: The Hidden Struggle
Here’s the thing, depression in men often doesn’t look like what you expect.Instead of tears, you might see frustration, irritability, or straight-up numbness. It might show up physically in your body, your sleep, your appetite, long before you realize it’s emotional.
What to do about it:
Start tracking your mood and energy levels for a week. Patterns will help you understand what’s really going on.
Move your body. A daily walk or short workout can have a huge impact on your brain chemistry.
Avoid isolating. Reach out to a friend even if it's just to grab coffee or watch the game.
Limit numbing habits like binge-watching, scrolling, or drinking, they may be covering up what really needs attention.
If you're ready to go deeper, counselling can help you figure out what’s underneath the irritability, exhaustion, or low motivation and give you tools to actually shift it.
Anxiety: The Constant Companion
Anxiety can feel like a motor that never turns off. It might show up as overthinking, tension, trouble focusing, or that general restlessness you just can’t shake. A lot of men mask it by overworking or staying constantly busy so they don’t have to sit with it.
What to do about it:
Try a grounding technique when you feel overwhelmed: like box breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4).
Cut down on caffeine and sugar, which can spike anxiety symptoms.
Write down your thoughts to get them out of your head and onto paper.
Start setting small, realistic daily goals. Completing them gives your brain a sense of control.
In counselling, we focus on calming the nervous system, changing the mental loops, and building routines that reduce stress long-term without relying on distraction or burnout.
Substance Use: A Coping Mechanism
For many men, substances feel like an easy way to take the edge off. A few drinks after work, smoking to relax and it starts small but can spiral fast. The problem is, it never really helps. It just numbs things temporarily, then makes them worse later.
What to do about it:
Pay attention to your patterns. Are you drinking to relax, to forget, or to feel something?
Replace one numbing habit with something active, like going to the gym, journaling, or calling someone you trust.
Set boundaries like “no drinks during the week” or “only two drinks max” to take back control.
If cutting back feels impossible or your habits are escalating, that’s your sign. In counselling, we explore what’s underneath the urge to self-medicate and build healthier, sustainable ways to cope.
Loneliness: The Silent Epidemic
This one’s huge. A lot of men have people around them but still feel completely alone. Male friendships often lack depth, and romantic relationships can become one-sided when emotional needs aren’t expressed. The result is isolation, even in a room full of people.
What to do about it:
Be the one to reach out. Text a friend. Suggest something casual like a walk or watching the game.
Practice being a little more honest when someone asks, “How are you?” Try saying, “Honestly, it’s been a rough week.”
Join a group: whether it's for fitness, hobbies, or even men’s mental health, consistent face-to-face interaction matters.
Counselling can be a starting place to unpack emotional barriers and learn how to build authentic connection, not just perform it.
Work-Related Stress: The Unseen Burden
When your worth is tied to your productivity, it’s hard to ever feel like you’re doing “enough.” Many men carry silent pressure to provide, achieve, and succeed all without dropping the ball. That pressure builds into chronic stress, burnout, and even identity crises.
What you can do about it:
Create a hard stop to your workday and actually stick to it: no emails after 7 p.m., for example.
Prioritize sleep, nutrition, and movement as non-negotiables — not “when I have time” items.
Learn to say “no” or “not right now” at work. Boundaries are professional, not personal.
In counselling, we explore how your identity and self-worth have become tangled up in career pressure and help you find a more grounded way to define success and maintain your mental health along the way.
Counselling Isn’t About Talking. It’s About Getting Real.
None of this is about being weak. In fact, facing your mental health takes more strength than ignoring it.
If you’re tired of feeling like you’re spinning your wheels, barely holding it together, or pretending things are fine when they’re not, it’s time to talk to someone who actually gets it.
As a Certified Canadian Counsellor and Registered Clinical Counsellor, I work with men who are done pretending. Counselling with me is blunt, honest, and focused on getting results. No fluff. No lectures. Just the tools and insight to help you finally feel better.
Book a session when you’re ready to get to the root of what’s weighing you down and start taking care of your mind the way you’ve been taught to take care of everything else.
Need Help Taking the First Step?
If you’re ready to start the conversation, or even want help figuring out how to say it, that’s what I’m here for.
Book a consultation or reach out through my contact page.
We can talk through your concerns, and if your partner is open to it, we can go from there as a team.
You don’t have to do this alone.
Your friend and expert,
Arezou Mirzaei, A Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC), Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Psychology Instructor.
