Anxiety in Men
Anxiety disorders and symptoms are among the most prevalent mental health conditions affecting men worldwide. Although fewer men are diagnosed with anxiety compared to women, this statistic is misleading. If you are experiencing symptoms but have not received a diagnosis, you are not alone. On this page, we aim to shed light on the reasons why men may hesitate to seek help, the symptoms that are more common in men, and the types of support that have proven to be helpful for men.
The Most Common Anxiety Symptoms in Men
External Behaviours
Aggression, risk-taking and substance misuse are more common than internalised expressions such as crying
Physical Symptoms
Reduced appetite, headaches and body tremours or shakes
Never-ending feeling
Many men have said they feel out of touch with their body, like they're losing control and like they're anxiety is seperate to them
Choice of Effective Support
Research that identified common patterns in men with anxiety found that most people chose to rely only on themselves or informal support, such as friends or family, because of the perceived barriers of formal help-seeking, such as therapy or medication. A lot of men spoke out and said that they thought therapy or medication wouldn't help or that there was a lot of stigma attached to receiving treatment. This leads a lot of men to increase substance use, interpersonal violence, and suicide as coping strategies, all of which make them feel worse or don't solve the problem.
Interestingly, in older people, men are more likely to struggle with anxiety and this is exacerbated by the fact that a lot of men between the ages of 50 and 80+ don't have social support, which protects against loneliness and mental ill-health. Older men are significantly more likely to have alcohol problems and smoke as a coping mechanism, which isn't a long-term cure for their anxiety symptoms.
More positively, with more recognition of men's mental health and empowerment to seek support, men have found support that works for them. Men with social anxiety, for example, found CBT or medication effective and lifestyle changes.
For more information on treatment options click here.