Today is ‘International Men’s Day’ and an opportunity to look at and understand men’s mental health from a man’s point of view.

It’s all very well telling them what they’re supposed to do by people that don’t understand why they are the way they are, but the natural and powerful urges and the social indoctrination from a young age is very powerful.

Most fighters understand that it’s not death or pain that they fear but humiliation. Therefore they would rather die than display or discuss their weaknesses.

So the advice to talk about their vulnerabilities with others may catch a few but won’t wash with those testosterone fuelled men that have been socially indoctrinated all their life.

The discussion needs to get to the root of the social structures that support the male character and change the media images of the cognitively dissonant hero that will deal with all their problems with violence. The thousands of years of having to go to war and stab, shoot, kill and maim others for the glory of Queen and country. The fact that the the man is seen as the provider and ultimate authority in the family.

The media and porn industry (and these days you can’t separate the two) that is structured around exciting the male libido. Even the gaming industry produces games that are filled with violence without repercussion.

Like the hopeless ideals put upon women there are also very powerful social drivers for men that have yet to be fully discussed because for both sexes these hopeless ideals make a lot of money and keep people feeling insecure.