As more and more celebrities are opening about their mental and physical health, it is becoming easier for regular individuals to do the same. Gone are the days when people would stigmatize you just because you are suffering from mental health issues. People are more accepting these days, and we are partly grateful to stars who have bravely shared their own stories. In a recent interview, Dwayne Johnson or The Rock opened up about his own mental health. Johnson is one of the highest-paid actors in history and has tons of hits under his belts. He was able to escape his tough facade as a wrestler and emerge as a funny, caring man. But he has not been immune to issues regarding mental health.
At the age of 15, he witnessed his mother trying to take her own life, and that made a huge negative impact on his mind — so much that he succumbed to depression. He has added that that had not been his last brush with depression as it followed him as he got older. He used to cry all the time and didn’t have the urge to go anywhere at all. He said, “Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up. Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone.”
In a society where we teach our boys from a very young age that crying is not a sign of masculinity, it can get very difficult for men to open up. Thanks to people like The Rock who is setting an example, more and more men are willing to talk about their mental health now. Scientists have found that men who conformed to the typical standards of masculinity had worse mental health than those who didn’t. So, never be afraid to show your emotions, cry if you need to, and express yourself!
