Blake Roberts, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist, writer, and speaker who helps people heal shame, soften fear, and experience deeper connection in their relationships. Blake blends clinical expertise with a conversational, emotionally resonant voice. He writes at the intersection of mental health, creativity, and Christian spirituality—often exploring how early attachment wounds shape our adult lives, and how courage, kindness, and curiosity help us rewire them.
Blake Roberts, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist, writer, and speaker who helps people heal shame, soften fear, and experience deeper connection in their relationships. Blake blends clinical expertise with a conversational, emotionally resonant voice. He writes at the intersection of mental health, creativity, and Christian spirituality—often exploring how early attachment wounds shape our adult lives, and how courage, kindness, and curiosity help us rewire them.
June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month,1 a time to uplift and validate the emotional lives of men. These 25 mental health quotes spotlight the power of vulnerability, healing, and self-love while also highlighting important mental health challenges that many men face.
As a therapist who works primarily with men, I’ve learned this: most guys aren’t taught how to name what they feel, so instead they manage it quietly. Their mental well-being suffers from it. These quotes aren’t just feel-good messages. They’re reminders from real men with real stories that your mental health matters and it being honest about it doesn’t make you soft— it makes you strong.
These quotes are reminders that mental health struggles don’t define you and recovery is possible.
Here’s a revised list of 25 inspirational quotes for Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month—featuring only quotes by men.
These voices range from artists and athletes to philosophers and advocates, offering encouragement for mental well-being, vulnerability, and resilience.
Men often experience unique mental health struggles2 that can make asking for help feel overwhelming. But with the right support, healing is possible.
Men are often taught to manage quietly, power through, or downplay their struggles altogether. I see it all the time in the therapy office. Clients who’ve spent years in high-functioning survival mode without realizing how lonely or exhausted they’ve become. The truth is, asking for help is often the most courageous step in a man’s healing journey.3
Men’s-only treatment centers offer a safe space to explore personal trauma, mental health challenges, and substance use in a nonjudgmental setting. They provide a gender-responsive approach to care, helping men reconnect with their emotional well-being without societal pressure to appear “tough” and surrounded by other men who truly get it.
Burnout can look like overcommitment, irritability, numbness, or quietly feeling like you’re failing at everything. Plenty of men say things like, “I’m just tired,” but what they may mean is, “I feel like I’m not allowed to stop.” Chronic stress can impact both mental and physical health, leading to anxiety, depression, or even substance misuse. Men’s programs address these mental health conditions with evidence-based therapies focused on stress management and emotional regulation.
Men are lonely. I share this in a recent article in my weekly newsletter, More to the Story:4
There is a crucial difference between being alone and being lonely. Loneliness is an emotion that, like all others, tries to communicate something to us. It is neither inherently good nor bad; instead, it indicates that we lack connection and intimacy—two fundamental human needs. When someone asks, “How are you doing?” and you respond with, “Oh, I’m good!” but the truth is that you are not good at that moment, you will inevitably feel lonely. This discomfort arises from a lack of genuine connection and intimacy.
Loneliness isn’t a flaw or failure—it’s a signal. For many men, it can feel shameful or weak to admit feeling isolated, but the truth is that loneliness may be pointing you toward the connection and support your mind and body deeply need. If that’s hard to believe—if your lived experience tells you that connection isn’t safe or possible—you’re not alone in that, either. That pain is real, and it deserves compassion.
Many men experience co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Dual diagnosis treatment tackles both issues at the same time, recognizing how depression, PTSD, or bipolar disorder may be driving unhealthy behaviors.
Although often overlooked, eating disorders like binge eating and body dysmorphia affect men, too. These conditions can be tied to trauma, shame, and perfectionism. When we trace it back, and unhealthy relationship with food can often be rooted in unprocessed grief, body-based trauma, or a desperate attempt to feel in control. Specialized care is critical to promoting long-term wellness and better mental health.
Not all treatment centers are created equal. When searching for support, it’s important to look for men’s programs that are trauma-informed, personalized, and led by licensed mental health professionals. From support groups to inpatient rehab, men have options for addressing their mental health needs.
A: Inspiring quotes like “It’s not weak to speak” or “Real strength is asking for help” remind men that vulnerability is a part of courage, not a contradiction to it. These messages help normalize emotional expression and support seeking help.
A: Yes, quotes can be powerful conversation starters. They provide language for feelings that may be hard to express and let men know they’re not alone in their experiences.
A: Offer validation and support: “You don’t have to go through this alone—I’m here for you,” or “It’s okay to not be okay, and it’s okay to ask for help.”
A: Cultural expectations and stigma around masculinity often discourage men from expressing emotions or seeking help, leading to underdiagnosed and untreated mental health issues.
A: No. While women are more likely to be diagnosed with certain conditions like depression or anxiety, men often experience mental health issues differently—and may be less likely to seek help, which can increase the risk of substance use or suicide.
1. National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Men’s Health Month. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/mens-health-month/
2. National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). 5 myths that prevent men from fighting depression. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/family-member-caregivers/5-myths-that-prevent-men-from-fighting-depression/
3. Cactus. (n.d.). Man Therapy. https://mantherapy.org/
4. Roberts, B. (2024, May 22). There’s an epidemic among men. Substack. https://blakeroberts.substack.com/p/theres-an-epidemic-among-men
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