With all of the societal pressures placed on men to be strong and unphased, it’s become increasingly difficult for men to work through challenging inner experiences that truly need to be dealt with in healthy ways. In addition to this, men often feel they need to “stiff their upper lip” in an effort to keep up strong male appearances – even if this means hiding some of that inner pain and pushing through in unhealthy, dangerous ways.
A publication by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) noted that men experience behavioral, social and situational issues within treatment; in many instances, men with particular characteristics (such as anger) will have a challenging time admitting mistakes or working through weaknesses in front of others or even with a therapist one-on-one. Other challenges men face in treatment include:
- Trouble identifying specific emotional problems they’re experiencing
- Concerns about privacy, as they don’t want to be judged by others
- Challenges analyzing their own thoughts and feelings and discovering what that means for them
- Stubborn occurrences in terms of following through with what being a “man” truly means; in other words, believing that one should be self-sufficient and thus doesn’t need treatment
- Combativeness, especially if men feel threatened in treatment or feel a need to compete
- And more
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) highlighted the fact that men and women experience addiction differently, and they experience treatment differently, too; these differences should always be taken into account when creating a customized treatment plan for best results.
Treatment can be complex with these additional challenges to get through, but recovery is still possible. If you or a loved one are ready to seek help from substance abuse – ready to gain back control over life, speak with a professional from Cumberland Heights today.
Cumberland Heights is a nonprofit alcohol and drug addiction treatment center located on the banks of the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee. On a sprawling 177-acre campus, we are made up of two 12-Step immersion campuses, 12 outpatient recovery centers, and 4 sober living homes. We believe that each person has a unique story to tell – and that’s why we always put the patient first. For more information, call 1-800-646-9998 today.
