Men Feel Too. They Just Don't Always Talk About It.

Most men weren’t raised to talk about their emotions.

They were raised to perform. To provide. To protect.

To suck it up. Keep it moving. Act like everything’s fine.

And when it’s not?

They bury it. Or they explode.

Both options cause damage, to themselves and everyone around them.

Let’s talk about it.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

This isn’t just a trend. This is a crisis.

• Men make up nearly 77-80% of all suicides

• They’re far less likely to get therapy or even talk to a friend

• They’re more likely to self-medicate through work, alcohol, risk, or silence

• Most don’t recognize their depression until something cracks; a marriage, their health, or their sense of purpose

It’s not because men are weak.

It’s because most were never shown another way.

I’ve Seen What It Looks Like When Emotions Get Ignored

This isn’t a theory to me. It’s personal.

My father was an emotionally neglected boy who grew into a man no one could reach.

He became a narcissist. An abuser. Someone who caused real harm to our family and to others.

He lived most of his life trying to control everything and everyone around him; because inside, he had no control at all.

He was a product of a violent, broken system. And eventually, he broke others.

I’m not excusing him. I’m not sugarcoating the damage. But I can say this;

There was a good man in there once.

One who never had a safe place to feel anything. One who let power and rage replace connection.

One who didn’t start out evil, but ended up choosing it over healing.

It wasn’t until his seventies that he looked back and started to see what he’d done.

And I’ll be honest.

I believe if he’d had something like After the Anchor,

if he’d had a space for real conversations and peer support,

he might have made different choices.

He might have done better.

You’re Not Just “A Man.” You’re

You.

You don’t owe anything to society’s idea of masculinity.

You don’t have to repeat what you were taught just because it’s familiar.

You’re not your parent. You’re not your worst day. You’re not your silence.

You’re a man with a mind, a body, a soul and you’re still here. That counts for something.

And let’s be real, if you wouldn’t take someone’s advice,

why are you living by their rules or caring about their opinions?

You get to choose how your story plays out.

Maybe You’re In It Right Now

Life gets real fast.

One day you’re 22 and full of fire,

the next you’re 40, exhausted, confused, wondering where the hell you went.

You’re showing up for your job. Your family.

But you’re not sure how to show up for yourself.

You’re not broken. You’re burnt out. You’re human.

And it’s not too late to figure it out.

Whether it’s therapy, journaling, moving your body, talking to someone who gets it.

Whatever helps you not get lost in it, start there.

What’s Keeping You Here?

At After the Anchor, we’re creating space for conversations men don’t usually get to have.

No judgment. No performance. No lectures.

Just real stories from real people.

If you’re navigating mental health and trying to do it better than the generation before you, you’re already doing the work.

So tell us:

• What keeps you going?

• What made you stay when you wanted to check out?

• What would you tell the man you were ten years ago?

Your voice matters. Even if you were told it didn’t.

You matter. Even if you’re still trying to believe it.

Pull up. You’re one of us.