Actor Wentworth Miller recently turned a painful moment into an opportunity to shed light on the ways body shaming affects men, and reading his story really resonated with me.
Miller addresses how the not-so-funny meme made about his weight brought him back to a really dark moment in his life when he was struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts.
Miller’s bravery in sharing his story helps to break down the stigmas around mental health and body image. This benefits everyone, but, more specifically, it’s a huge support move for other men.
Gender expectations don’t only affect women, they hurt men, too.
Men are affected by beauty standards and body shaming.
Men struggle and live with mental illness.
Men feel pressure to live up to society’s expectations of what is “masculine.”
Our culture perpetuates the idea that men aren’t “supposed” to talk about these sensitive issues, but ignoring the ways gender expectations affect men does not make them go away.
Sharing personal stories, as Miller did, expands conversations, opening them up for more men to share their struggles.
Telling your story is the first step in creating change.