Questions for the men

[kate1621]

Hi,

This is my first post to this board, though not to this forum.

I was wondering if it's common for men to conceal symptoms/info. Have you minimized how your body feels? Have you minimized or concealed your thoughts/fears? Have you been less than forthright with information?

If so, how come? What can a partner do to prevent this or make it easier to share the truth with?

Any/all insights are sincerely appreciated.

Kate

[Don Wood]

Well, I believe men, by our nature and our culture, see ourselves as the strong ones, the problem-solving ones. We don't envision ourselves getting sick and needing help. We see pain and illness as a sign of weakness. So, many times we are in denial, and play the "ignore it and it will go away" game.

What can you do? That's a good question. Be assertive but don't nag! I know that is a tall order. Many times we men do need help in recognizing there is a problem and then getting the necessary help. It ain't easy to do this, but well worth the effort.

Sometimes you can get another male to talk with your male and get help that way. Sometimes not. It's worth a try.

Don