Professional Aussie Rules footy player gets involved with suicide prevention charity with a particular focus on breaking the stigma of males seeking help.

saint2e · 2013-07-24T13:26:00+00:00

This is the type of story this subreddit needs more of. Good on them.

2013-07-24T14:09:27+00:00

Good on him. If I ever see him in the street, he'll be getting a handshake.

060868060 · 2013-07-24T14:52:56+00:00

Yet another mental health promotion that's based on the premise that the problem is traditional models of masculinity and the solution is men not being afraid to show weakness/get in touch with their feminine side. So we're given a dog and pony show where a bunch of macho football players sit in yoga poses visualizing the stress flowing out of their bodies with every exhalation and the energy and love of the universe flowing in with every inhalation. I don't buy this as a mental health solution and I'm suspicious of the agenda. I don't think the footballers really buy it either, although they're well intentioned.

Traditional models of masculinity are compatible with mental health, as long as they're applied wisely and given social support. Here's a professional football player. He wants to excel at his sport. He wants the respect of his peers. He has an entourage to support and advise him. If he's injured he seeks help from a doctor. If he's going through a bad patch he seeks help from a coach. He listens to the stories of his older teammates. He helps his younger teammates. All of those behaviors are compatible with mental health: self-improvement, positive thinking, community, asking for help, etc. Framing it that way helps boys and men as they are. No need for boys and men to challenge gender stereotypes as a prerequisite for getting the help they need.

Being successful, getting stuff done, having friends to share the journey with you, that's happiness and mental health. Sitting in a room with scented candles, getting in touch with your emotions as an end in itself, that's a narcissistic distraction. Revealing a weakness selectively to trusted advisors or teammates, with the aim of improving that weakness and being a better player and team member, that's compatible with men's self interest. Outside that context of discretion, trust, and self-improvement, telling men that they shouldn't be afraid to show weakness is a lie. It's politically correct, and you can play ideological chicken and egg games with it, but right now it's not compatible with men's life experience or self-interest, and it's one of the reasons why the counseling profession does so badly in helping vulnerable men.

2013-07-24T20:56:32+00:00

And here I thought it was Harry O'Brien, who's admitted very publicly and very recently that he has issues he's trying to deal with, including child sexual abuse.

Title	Professional Aussie Rules footy player gets involved with suicide prevention charity with a particular focus on breaking the stigma of males seeking help.
Author	whoamiiamasikunt
Upvotes	104
Comments	11
Date	July 24, 2013 1:23 PM UTC (13 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/1iycvu/professional_aussie_rules_footy_player_gets/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/professional-aussie-rules-footy-player-gets.1168046 https://theredarchive.com/post/1168046

Comments