Is It Important for Men to Have Mental Health Support?

Abuse in any relationship is unacceptable.  According to NIH and Harvard University Medical School, women initiate 70% of domestic violence.  However, when you watch any media outlet, it would seem men are the perpetuators of violence and women are innocent victims.  Has society looked at the impact on men’s mental health with so much violence being initiated by women?

In the wake of the Zac Stacy video, it appears this may have been a case where she was an innocent victim.  At the same time, for some reason, the full video has not been released.  We have no idea what could have driven him to such rage.

The woman who was the recipient of Zac’s rage says he may be suffering from PTSD.  The claim is football causes this in men and changes their behavior.  Is it possible?  Sure.  If it did happen, the men most affected would be the biggest men - linemen.  They receive the most collisions during games.  Or running backs like Earl Campbell would have had the most severe cases of PTSD.

Nevertheless, Zac has been arrested.  Is this a good time for men to take a step back and look at their mental health?  One, with so much violence being initiated by women, men need a space to discuss the impact on them.  Otherwise, they explode and there is nothing the woman can do.  Two, when men do want to have open conversations about what they are feeling, men and women tell them to suck it up.  Men are told it is part of manhood to deal with their feelings in silence.  Is that tactic healthy?

Let’s open this can of worms Straight Talk style.