I am guilty of it myself: In my mid-20s, as I struggled with debilitating anxiety and panic attacks, I bristled at the idea of going to therapy. After all, I had never needed therapy before. I was young, healthy, and had the world ahead of me. What would going to therapy be but a sign of failure or of an inability to handle things on my own?

Statistics show that I was not alone in my resistance: A 2019 CDC report discovered that “nearly one in four women received any mental health treatment (24.7 percent) in the past 12 months, compared with 13.4 percent of men.” But why such a difference? I am reminded of a scene in the HBO series The Sopranos where the main character, mob boss tough guy Tony, laments (ironically, in a therapy session): “Nowadays, everybody’s gotta go to shrinks, and counselors…and talk about their problems. What happened to Gary Cooper? The strong, silent type.” Gary Cooper, an actor who often portrayed the archetypal American “rugged,” hyper-independent male—a horseback-riding, no-nonsense, cowboy-hat-wearing tough guy—to Tony Soprano represented what true masculinity is, and it certainly did not involve therapy, feelings, or vulnerability.

And that is part of the issue: Constantly perpetuated myths of masculinity prevent many men from seeking help when they are struggling. This “do it........

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