We tend to talk about mental health as if it speaks one language everywhere. Anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, self-esteem; these words get used as if they meant the same thing in  every home, every culture. But while emotional pain is universal, how people make sense of  it, express it, and respond to it is not. Culture runs through all of it. Especially when we think  of how people are even allowed to express it in some cultures.

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease in which tissue similar to the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) grows outside the uterus, commonly on the ovaries, pelvic nerves, bowel or bladder (Zondervan et al., 2020). Because this tissue still responds to hormonal cycles, it swells and bleeds each month in places where bleeding cannot be physiologically resolved.

We live in an era where choice is celebrated as the ultimate freedom. From hundreds of TV channels to customizable everything like phones, cars, even coffee orders. Society tells us more options equal better lives. But psychologist Barry Schwartz challenged this in his 2004 book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, arguing that an overabundance of choices can actually increase anxiety and dissatisfaction (Schwartz, 2004). In his TED Talk, Schwartz explains how too many options force us to become "maximizers," always hunting for the absolute best, which leads to regret and what-if scenarios rather than contentment (Schwartz, 2006).

Have you had weeks and weeks where you’re juggling work, projects, hobbies, social life, exercise, healthy eating, and sleep all while trying not to lose your mind? Sometimes, cloning yourself seems more viable than letting go of tasks to have a balanced life.

Whatever the cause for men’s difficulty in expressing emotions, it is the way that we are socialized which sits at the root (Nordin et al., 2024). Social norms, passed on decade after decade, have shaped the fear and shame associated with being vulnerable, crying and opening up about how we feel (Wagner & Reifegerste, 2024). The problem is, if we refuse to share how we feel with others, we can barely expect them to know if we are truly doing well. Men cannot call for support if we do not communicate. Eventually, this lack of disclosure and the resulting disconnection can leave us stuck by ourselves, isolated from our friends, family and partners, which is place closely linked to loneliness and even increased suicide risk (Bennett et al., 2024).