Why Are So Many Men Struggling Right Now?

Disclaimer: Apparently, I have to add this, this site shares general information and ideas — not therapy, professional advice, or mental health treatment. Reading here does not make me your therapist (imagine the paperwork if it did). As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘A mind stretched by new ideas never returns to its original dimension.’ That’s the spirit of what you’ll find here. Read on, my friend.

Everywhere I look—my clients, my friends, even men in my own family—I see it: men are struggling. Especially men over 40. Anxiety, disconnection, loneliness, and quiet despair. And too often, they carry it silently.

As Jason Wilson shared on Mel Robbins’ Podcast (Episode 317), the most dangerous words a man can say are: “I’m good.” Because usually, it means the opposite.

Why is this happening?

• Men are living as “human doings”—measuring their worth only by performance.

• They’ve been emotionally trained to suppress rather than express.

• Economic stress, relationship changes, and isolation hit hard—especially without community or emotional outlets.

In his new book, The Man the Moment Demands, Wilson offers a new blueprint: ten characteristics of a comprehensive man—not just Fighter or Provider, but also Lover, Nurturer, Friend, and Son. It’s a vision of masculinity that’s multidimensional, whole, and deeply human.

So why are men struggling right now?Because they’ve been carrying too much, without the tools or permission to set it down.

The good news? The tools are here. Wilson’s message—and this growing conversation—remind us that men don’t need to keep struggling in silence. It’s time to become not just human doings, but human beings.

On the journey learning along the way,

Erika Baum, MA, LPCC

Relational Trauma Therapist