Breaking The Silence: The Untold Mental Struggles Of Nigerian Men

Even aft agreeing to stock his struggles with mental health with us, Titi Adeoti* would inactive not privation his existent sanction to look successful print. He prefers anonymity to “protect” himself from imaginable ridicule and the stigma that the Nigerian nine attaches to intelligence illnesses.

Photo Pexels Alex Green

“It is hard capable to person these battles rage successful my head,” helium tells Guardian Life. “I don’t privation anyone to deliberation I’m going to wound them and tally berserk immoderate minute.”

Adeoti, a 35-year-old entrepreneur, was diagnosed with slump successful 2018 and aboriginal anxiousness disorder. After the 2018 diagnosis, helium did astir nothing. And helium told nary 1 astir his diagnosis. “I could not find the close words to picture it to anyone adjacent if I wanted to. I could not archer anyone successful my family, not adjacent my wife. Why would I privation anyone to deliberation that I was not good successful the head?”

He remained soundless astir his intelligence challenges until helium had a large intelligence breakdown that forced him to question assistance astatine the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Yaba astatine the extremity of 2021. He wrestled with episodes of suicidal ideations and would suffer involvement successful things that would usually motivate oregon excite him. “I was surviving successful acheronian and spiralling until my household recovered retired I was not good and forced maine to question help.”

A civilization of silence

Adeoti is not alone; millions of Nigerian men are embracing a civilization of soundlessness successful their lonesome fights against intelligence illness. Statistics besides uncover a grim picture: the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that intelligence wellness disorders are on the rise globally, and Nigeria is nary exception.

Some of Nigeria’s astir prevalent intelligence wellness issues see slump and anxiousness disorders. Although the state does not person 1 of the highest rates of slump successful Africa, an estimated 3.9% of the colonisation (approximately 7 cardinal Nigerians) is affected.

The WHO reported that 4.9 cardinal Nigerians (2.7%) struggled with anxiousness disorders arsenic of 2015. Beyond these, substance maltreatment disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and property disorders are besides communal successful the country.

The concern is dire among men arsenic antheral termination rates are importantly higher than those among women successful the West African country.

READ ALSO: Mental Health: Group counsels youths against dying successful silence

The authorities of men’s wellness successful Nigeria

“Men’s intelligence wellness successful Nigeria is an country that requires urgent attention,” says Dr Oluseun Peter Ogunnubi, a Senior Lecturer astatine the University of Lagos and a Consultant Psychiatrist astatine Grace Cottage Clinics, Ilupeju-Lagos.

“There are important challenges, but the biggest contented is the stigma attached to intelligence wellness problems. Many men consciousness they person to conform to societal expectations of masculinity, which often means suppressing their emotions and not seeking help.”

According to Dr Ogunnubi, who is presently pursuing an further grade successful colonisation wellness astatine the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, “Depression and anxiousness are the astir communal intelligence wellness issues faced by Nigerian men.”

“These conditions tin beryllium exacerbated by the unit to supply for families, the deficiency of economical opportunities, and the pervasive taste content that men should ever beryllium beardown and self-reliant. Unlike their counterparts present successful Canada who bask the enactment the strategy provides them via workplace intelligence healthcare, an mean Nigerian antheral is near connected his own.”

Cultural influences and stigma

In Nigerian society, taste expectations play a immense relation successful shaping attitudes toward intelligence health. “From a young age, boys are taught to beryllium tough, not to cry, and to grip problems independently,” Dr Ogunnubi explains. 

“This conditioning makes it hard for men to admit erstwhile they are struggling and to question the assistance they need. The nine expects him to beryllium strong. The appellate ‘Real men don’t cry’ has sent much men to their aboriginal graves than hypertension oregon cancer. We indispensable clasp the civilization that allows men to question assistance without being shamed. We indispensable each judge the information that IT’S OK NOT TO BE OK!”

This taste stigma is profoundly ingrained, making men much apt to endure successful soundlessness alternatively than hazard being seen arsenic anemic oregon unstable. “Men often fearfulness being judged, ridiculed, oregon adjacent ostracised if they admit to having intelligence wellness issues,” says Dr Ogunnubi. “This fearfulness prevents galore from reaching retired for assistance until they scope a breaking point.”

For Adeoti, contempt being a palmy entrepreneur, the value of his intelligence wellness struggles became excessively overmuch to bear. His soundlessness was driven by fearfulness of stigma and a deficiency of knowing astir his condition. It wasn’t until his intelligence wellness deteriorated severely that helium sought nonrecreational help.

Nduka Okeke*, a 28-year-old bundle developer, started experiencing terrible anxiousness and panic attacks soon aft opening a high-pressure occupation successful the tech industry. “I felt similar I was perpetually connected edge,” helium says. “But I couldn’t speech to anyone astir it. In my mind, admitting I was struggling would mean I wasn’t chopped retired for the job.”

Okeke’s turning constituent came erstwhile a adjacent person noticed the changes successful his behaviour and urged him to question help. “It was a alleviation to yet speech to someone,” helium says. “I started seeing a therapist and gradually learned however to negociate my anxiety.” 

Changing perceptions

Dr Ogunnubi emphasises that changing perceptions astir men’s intelligence wellness requires a multi-faceted approach. “Education is key,” helium says. “We request to proceed to amended radical astir intelligence wellness and situation the stereotypes that forestall men from seeking help. Who says men don’t consciousness symptom oregon person emotions moving done their minds?” 

An mean Nigerian antheral is simply a breadwinner, a son, a brother, a father, a worker, and a subordinate of nine expected to execute his roles without blinking an eye. Atop this is the caller question of expectations by immoderate young women that their suitors indispensable person millions of wealth successful their accounts earlier immoderate narration tin start. This is simply a full deviation from what is obtained successful the Western satellite wherever some genders often divided bills 50-50. Such an awkward mentality has further accrued the intelligence load of an mean antheral who wants to settee down. Nigerian men are going done a lot”.

He highlights respective palmy initiatives that are making a difference. “There are grassroots organisations and intelligence wellness advocates similar The Real Visionaries Initiative, MindTrust, and the Mental Health Foundation who are doing unthinkable enactment to rise consciousness and trim stigma. Campaigns that usage media — including societal media — to stock stories and supply accusation astir intelligence wellness are peculiarly effective.”

Dr Ogunnubi besides stresses the value of relation models successful changing perceptions. “In the West, celebrities similar musicians, athletes, and politicians often talk retired astir their intelligence wellness struggles. When salient figures, specified arsenic celebrities and assemblage leaders, bash the aforesaid successful Nigeria and talk openly astir their intelligence wellness issues, it helps to normalise the speech and promote others to question help.”

Therapeutic approaches to resolving intelligence wellness issues

Therapy and counselling play important roles successful supporting men’s intelligence health. “Many men are initially reluctant to effort therapy due to the fact that they don’t cognize what to expect, oregon they fearfulness being judged,” says Dr Ogunnubi. “But erstwhile they begin, they often find it incredibly beneficial.”

“The information is, therapy works similar magic. After therapy, the psychiatrist whitethorn take to prescribe medicine oregon not. Seeing a psychiatrist does not mean you are mad. It simply means you are seeking assistance from an adept who is trained to negociate encephalon behaviour issues, conscionable arsenic 1 would person sought the assistance of a cardiologist successful lawsuit of bosom conditions.”

Different types of therapy tin beryllium effective, depending connected the individual’s needs. “Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is peculiarly effectual for conditions similar slump and anxiety,” Dr Ogunnubi explains. “It helps individuals recognize and alteration the patterns of reasoning and behaviour that lend to their intelligence wellness issues.”

Group therapy and enactment groups tin besides beryllium valuable. “These settings supply a consciousness of assemblage and understanding, which tin beryllium precise comforting,” helium adds.

Resources and support

Access to intelligence wellness services is critical, but galore don’t cognize wherever to start. “There are resources available, but consciousness of these resources is low,” says Dr Ogunnubi. He recommends starting with helplines and counselling centres, galore of which connection confidential and affordable services.

“It is besides precise important for organisations to initiate worker assistance programmes (EAP) which person go the caller normal. Through EAPs, men tin sermon their issues by making a confidential helpline call. EAPs besides thatch workers the aboriginal signs and symptoms of affectional illness.”

For those successful crisis, contiguous assistance is disposable done assorted termination prevention hotlines.

Breaking the soundlessness astir men’s intelligence wellness successful Nigeria requires a corporate effort. “We request to make environments wherever men consciousness harmless to speech astir their struggles,” says Dr Ogunnubi. “This means addressing stigma, improving entree to intelligence wellness services, and fostering supportive communities.”

“Religious organisations, portion preaching faith, resilience, and hope, indispensable besides guarantee they bash not marque it hard for men to question aesculapian help.”

Adeoti’s and Okeke’s stories item the value of seeking assistance and the transformative powerfulness of therapy. “Reaching retired for assistance is simply a motion of strength, not weakness,” says Okeke.

It’s important to retrieve that intelligence wellness challenges bash not discriminate. They impact individuals — including men — from each walks of life, and addressing these issues openly and compassionately tin marque a important difference.

By fostering unfastened conversations and providing support, we tin assistance interruption the soundlessness and guarantee that nary antheral has to look his intelligence wellness challenges alone.

“For a nine that puts loads of unit connected its men, Nigeria does not instrumentality the intelligence wellness of its men seriously,” says Adeoti.

“That has to stop,” Okeke adds.

Their existent names person been changed connected petition to support their identities.

Mental wellness hotlines

If you are reasoning astir ending your life, delight interaction immoderate of these termination prevention lifelines to inquire questions, marque enquiries, and question assistance from professionals.

Government-sponsored hotlines:

•           Lagos State termination hotlines (toll-free): 08058820777, 09030000741
•           Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative (SURPIN): 09080217555 (9mobile), 09034400009 (MTN), 08142241007 (Hausa), 08000787746 (toll-free)

Not-for-profit organisations:

• Nigerian Suicide Prevention Initiative Counselling Centre (toll-free 24/7): 08062106493, 08092106493, 08092106493

• Grace Cottage Clinics Suicide Prevention Hotline: 0913-6000-342; 0805-7886-636.

Quote to highlight

It’s good to not beryllium okay.