Does ‘masculinity’ deter men from seeking professional psychological help post APS?

“Brave boys don’t cry.” “There is no courage in showing that you are hurt and scared.” Are these words...

Zehra Kamal Alam December 18, 2015
The devastating impact of a traumatic life experiences such as a terrorist attack cannot be denied. The risk of developing psychological after-affects including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complicated grief in such instances is also well documented. Children and adults alike may experience flashbacks, nightmares, inability to concentrate, frequent crying and outbursts, difficulties with sleep and appetite, relationship problems, suicidal thoughts and attempts, drug abuse, and other high risk behaviours.

In a society that has raised it boys and young men to be brave and heroic and socialises to believe that any expression of sadness, hurt and fear would be akin to cowardice, coping with a devastating event such as a terrorist attack or a bomb blast becomes an even more complex phenomenon than it already is.

Messages around the concept of masculinity such as
“Brave boys don’t cry.”

“There is no courage in showing that you are hurt and scared.”

“The brave sons of a brave nation cannot be deterred.”

“Boys are tough; they don’t need the kind of gentleness and emotional support girls need.”

“Strong men handle problems on their own.”

Such statements greatly affect how boys and young men understand and copel with traumatic life experiences. All of this also links closely with how we as adults, care-givers, parents and teachers contribute towards strengthening the very social norms that might do more harm than good to boys as they try to make sense of their emotions and thoughts as an aftermath of a trauma.

The Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity highlights the link between the definitions of masculinity that require boys to conform to the ideals of toughness and stoicism with men being emotionally stunted and aggressive. As a result they harm not only themselves but also their families and communities.

Psychologist Roland F Levant uses the term ‘Normative Male Alexithymia’ to describe the challenges experienced by some men in their inability to be genuinely aware of identify and verbalise emotions such as those of depression. He associates this phenomenon with how boys learn from their parents and peers to suppress their vulnerabilities including feelings of sadness.

Several global studies and researches (quoted by the American Psychological Association and the British Psychological Society) reveal the role of socialisation, men’s upbringing and their inability to seek professional help. These studies indicate that even though men of all ages and ethnicities may experience similar or greater problems than women, in dealing with issues such as depression, stressful life experiences and substance abuse, they are less likely to seek support, which would in turn have a negative impact on their mental and physical well-being including their relationships.

The conscious and unconscious pressure to conform to masculine norms not only affects children’s ability to cope but also negatively impacts the kinds of interventions we may plan for them, especially boys and young men. So while many of us now know that the psychological best practices to address such incidents must include a well-thought-out, holistic, consolidated and long-term plan that includes educating all children and their families about normal physical and psychological reactions to the event, teaching healthy ways of coping, equipping teachers and parents with information and skills, and providing children with opportunities to seek professional support, there may be a denial of the need and importance of these interventions resulting in half-baked efforts to implement them.

As we mark the first anniversary of the Army Public School (APS) attack and send out a strong message of our resolve to fight terrorism, to the terrorists and extremist groups, let us make sure we are not compromising on the supportive spaces these boys would need in order to recover and heal in the true sense. We, the adults, need to ask ourselves if our media messages, motivational talks and discourse that overplay the concepts of bravery and heroism among boys are doing more harm than good by inhibiting these children from developing healthy and effective coping skills.
WRITTEN BY:
Zehra Kamal Alam An Islamabad based practising Clinical Psychologist with 16 years of experience working with children and adults especially on trauma and violence related issues. She also works freelance in the development sector and tweets as @zehrakamal (https://twitter.com/zehrakamal)
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (2)

Amena Wali | 8 years ago | Reply Well said, Zehra Kamal.
the last rationalist left | 8 years ago | Reply Rubbish article with no concrete evidence given except argumentum ad verecundiam. Some psychologist of some society says something about boys and men and it is taken as revealed words of God? Men and boys are put under enormous pressure from nature (including females) so that those with alpha capabilities survive and grow up to be the pack leaders. Those men or boys who succumb to emotional trauma and depression are filtered out and shunned to the periphery of society as they do not have any progeny and women do not mate with such men. Eventually such genes die out.
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ