OP started with “men do not need a therapist”, and then implied that their wife or girlfriend should be their therapist instead. This is, in fact, an unhealthy dynamic, and that is why people called it out as such.
The way I read it, it implied that they should have a place to open up and have intimacy. I read it more like “the lack of that is what creates the necessity to go to therapy”.
Sure, having an caring and empathetic partner might help me cope with my intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and ADHD, but I still need a therapist. My therapist understands how my brain works and gives me strategies for dealing with maladaptive behaviors. My partner likely wouldn’t have that kind of education, and even if she did, that’s not her job.
Additionally, there’s already a lot of stigma around mental illness, especially for men, and that causes them to not seek professional help, because they see that as admitting to a character flaw. Messages like this aren’t helping.
OP started with “men do not need a therapist”, and then implied that their wife or girlfriend should be their therapist instead. This is, in fact, an unhealthy dynamic, and that is why people called it out as such.
The way I read it, it implied that they should have a place to open up and have intimacy. I read it more like “the lack of that is what creates the necessity to go to therapy”.
Sure, having an caring and empathetic partner might help me cope with my intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and ADHD, but I still need a therapist. My therapist understands how my brain works and gives me strategies for dealing with maladaptive behaviors. My partner likely wouldn’t have that kind of education, and even if she did, that’s not her job.
Additionally, there’s already a lot of stigma around mental illness, especially for men, and that causes them to not seek professional help, because they see that as admitting to a character flaw. Messages like this aren’t helping.