Darrell’s Story: From Holding In Grief to Finding His Voice
Raised to believe “boys don’t cry,” infertility struggles and stress spilled into work until Darrell finally sought help, discovering attentive support and a dramatic improvement in his well-being.
“Boys don’t cry… you got to be tough.” That’s the script Darrell heard growing up. So when years of infertility stress hit, he didn’t name the grief. He focused on supporting his wife and tried to wall off the pain. It turned into a short fuse, and leaked into work:
“Home was coming to work with me.”
He knew mental health mattered…for other people. Not him. His wife saw what he couldn’t: he wasn’t handling it and needed to talk to someone.
The hardest part was finding help. He searched, called clinics, and heard, “not taking new clients.” That stung. Nobody wants to talk to me, he thought. This is where many men give up. He now wishes he’d listened to his wife sooner. And he believes men-specific spaces would help: he can’t be the only one raised on “boys don’t cry.”
Eventually, he found support and a first therapy session that felt surprisingly safe. “She was… honed in on what I was saying.” He’d never felt listened to like that.
The shift since then? “Night and day.” He’s steadier at home and work, and it’s “the best I’ve felt in… I can’t even tell you how long.”
Darrell’s story is familiar: silence, self-blame, and a belief that help is for someone else. It’s also proof that one conversation can change the trajectory.
If this is you:
You don’t have to carry everything alone.
Try one step today: Reach out to our Men’s Resource Line or start a chat.
Don’t give up, keep going. You’re worth the effort.
Find practical, low-barrier support at Men & . You don’t have to do this alone.