When a Grown Man Cries, the World Listens
“It’s okay to not be okay. The strength is in asking for help.”
Michael Beasley
For men, vulnerability is often mislabeled as weakness, reinforced by society, culture, and religion. But as I’ve come to learn, it’s the opposite. Real courage is when men embrace vulnerability.
MY STORY
Two and a half years ago, I entered rehab carrying the weight of undiagnosed mental illnesses, Alcohol Use Disorder, and Substance Use Disorder. The pressure to always appear “strong” was suffocating. During grief counseling, I cried for the first time since my father’s funeral two years earlier. Those tears marked my determination to change—for my children, for myself, and for the mistakes I was ready to own.
A POWERFUL EXAMPLE
Former NBA star Michael Beasley has walked a similar path. On The Pivot Podcast, he opened up about his struggles with mental health and addiction. He admitted he didn’t know it was okay to ask for help. Rehab and post-rehab support gave him the tools to heal, prioritize his kids, and advocate for mental health. His vulnerability is now his strength.
THE NUMBERS
Globally, men account for 75% of suicides. In Africa, cultural norms amplify the silence, leaving many men to battle undiagnosed anxiety, depression, or addiction alone. Self-destruction and death follow. Morbid, I know, but sugar coating the seriousness is unhelpful.
TAKE ACTION
1. Encourage men to seek mental health assessments—it’s a game-changer.
2. Use resources like Michael Beasley’s interviews, Kevin Love’s story, The Pivot Podcast, and Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly, and research other testimonies for you to learn and be inspired.
3. Support caregivers. They need encouragement and professional help, too.
CALL TO ACTION
Men, assess your mental health, ask for help, and once healed, pay it forward. Vulnerability saves lives—it saved mine.
CONCLUSION
Undoing years of damage to your mindset—low self-esteem, anxiety, addiction—is possible. It starts with courage: to speak, to ask for help, and to support others. Let’s end the silence. Let us create more spaces for men to cry, talk, and grow. When they do, notice, listen, and support.
