Men Cry Too—But No One Listens: The Silent Epidemic of Mental Health and Violence Against Indian Men

India, a land of contrasts, culture, and chaos, is also home to one of the most unspoken crises of the modern age: men's mental health. For decades, Indian society has trained men to be providers, protectors, warriors—but never feelers. Crying is considered weak, vulnerability is ridiculed, and seeking help is mocked. But as the 21st century unfolds, the emotional wounds of Indian men are beginning to bleed through the social fabric. And sometimes, tragically, this bottled pain explodes—in violence, crime, and even death.

A young man brutally murdered, another found hanging with no suicide note, and yet another driven to self-destruction after false accusations. These aren’t just stories; these are symptoms of a nation that has failed to protect half its population from psychological breakdowns. Every time a woman commits suicide, it becomes national news. But when a man does the same? Silence. Sometimes, even mockery. In many cases, the media runs with the assumption that "he must have done something wrong."

India loses more than 100,000 men to suicide every year—a statistic that has remained buried under the avalanche of news about politics, cricket, and celebrity gossip. Men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women in India. And yet, there are fewer than 10 prominent mental health campaigns that directly address men.

Why? Because society assumes men are strong. And the tragedy? Many believe it themselves.

From a young age, boys are told to "man up," to "stop crying," to "be strong for your mother." Emotions are taught to be suppressed, not expressed. And that emotional suppression eventually turns into frustration, depression, and sometimes—violence.

In the age of empowerment, women are speaking up. And they should. But there’s another side to this narrative that is barely whispered: men being falsely accused.

In recent years, an increasing number of cases have emerged where men were falsely implicated in crimes like sexual harassment, domestic violence, and dowry harassment. The mere accusation is enough to destroy reputations, careers, and families. Even if proven innocent later, the damage is irreparable.

But do they get justice? Rarely. Does the media issue a retraction? Almost never.

Indian men today are walking through life with inherited trauma. Their fathers never hugged them. Their uncles mocked them. Their teachers punished them for crying. The result? A generation of emotionally constipated men, incapable of expressing pain until it's too late.

And the worst part? They don’t even know they’re hurting. Emotional literacy is so rare among men that many can’t even identify what they’re feeling. Is it anger? Is it sadness? Is it jealousy? Is it fear? They don’t know. All they know is they’re not okay.

In urban India, the average male is not just battling emotional neglect but also the pressure of performance. He must earn well, get promoted, support his family, buy a house, get married, raise children, and never, ever complain.

Burnout, anxiety, depression—these are regular guests in the lives of men working 10-12 hours a day, six days a week. And the pandemic only made it worse. Working from home blurred the lines between rest and hustle. And with no safe space to talk, men quietly collapsed inside their own minds.

Love and relationships, too, have become a battlefield. Men are often expected to be the pursuers, the payers, the planners, and the protectors. But what about their emotional needs?

In many relationships, especially in the digital age, men feel expendable. Dating apps reduce them to swipes. Emotional vulnerability is dismissed as neediness. And if a breakup occurs? There is rarely a support system. Friends might say, "Chal beer peene chalte hai" but no one asks, "Are you okay?"

India’s legal system, though created with the noble intent of protecting women, often becomes a trap for innocent men. Laws related to Section 498A (dowry harassment) or POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) are non-bailable and presume guilt.

If a man is accused, he has to prove his innocence. Meanwhile, his name, face, and shame are plastered across the media. Courts may acquit him, but society never will.

What does it mean to be a man in India today? Strong. Rich. Emotionless. That’s the dream sold by movies, advertising, and sometimes even parents.

Men are praised for not crying at their father’s funeral but ridiculed if they do. They are expected to protect their sisters, even if it means dying in the process. They are applauded for working late nights but never for staying home with their child.

This toxic masculinity doesn’t just hurt women. It kills men.

So how do we fix this? It begins with acknowledgment.

• Conversations at Home: Parents must teach boys it’s okay to cry.
• Education System Reform: Emotional intelligence should be a subject, not a luxury.
• Mental Health Support: Free and anonymous helplines, therapy, and workshops targeted at men.
• Media Responsibility: Stop demonizing masculinity. Start humanizing it.
• Legal Reforms: Make gender-neutral laws a priority.

Talk to any man who has gone through a false allegation or a painful divorce or even job loss, and you’ll hear stories that are gut-wrenching. One man falsely accused of harassment spent two years in jail before being acquitted. Another was forced to pay alimony to a wife who never lived with him.

But their stories never go viral. There are no hashtags. No outrage. No candle marches. Just silence.

Indian men are not asking for special treatment. They are just asking to be heard. To be seen. To be treated as human beings with emotions, flaws, and the right to cry.

The mental health crisis among men is real. It is deadly. And it is growing. We must act now before another young man dies not from suicide, but from silence.

Because the truth is: Men cry too. And it's time we started listening.

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