Many of my pieces are about personal experience and current events against humanity. Women are pulled apart by atrocious, violent behavior by individuals in political or civilian life. I have not said much about men’s mental health; at most, I’ve hinted at it.
The word “eunuch” describes a male who has been castrated. I’ve researched the history of men’s mental health, and it is very interesting. There is a dark, vicious side to the reasoning behind eunuch. I always wondered about how mental illness starts for men. What I found may shock male readers, maybe women too.
I read an article from Britannica online, and the inherited practices through religion, status, or other atrocious behavior. I’ve learned intergenerational trauma is rooted in many aspects of life. Eunuchs were hired in the Middle East and in China, but that’s just part of the history. You may ask why any male would agree to be hired and castrated for work.
According to Britannica, Eunuchs had two functions: as guards and servants in harems or women’s quarters, and chambers of kings. These men were considered phenomenal guards for wives or concubines in a palace. Eunuchs had many roles for rulers, and it became a highly sought-after career path. Though the worst part of it was eunuchs were castrated as punishment, or were people who had been sold by poor parents.
Also during the Chou period (c. 1122-221 B.C.), eunuchs were political advisers to the emperors, and this custom lasted through many dynasties and cultures such as Persia (559-330 B.C.), Roman emperors, and Muslim power after AD 750.
Religion also played a role in male violence. Priests and monks volunteered to become eunuchs to avoid sexual sin or temptation. The idea of Christian theologian Origen (c. A.D. 185-c.254) based this practice on Matthew 19:12; 5:28-30. There was a Christian sect of eunuchs during the 3rd century, Valesii, who believed castrating themselves and their guests was serving God.
There’s also an Italian practice where singers known as castrati are castrated as young boys to allow them to sing as adult sopranos. During this time, someone had the right mind to end this practice by Pope Leo XIII (1878). The inhumane practice is destructive and cruel to the male ego. Back then, I don’t know if mental illness was a matter of construct, but eunuchs were a sign of someone inheriting a trauma.
Castration is something so inhumane, how could one stand it without being physically ill and mentally unstable? In the present day, male dominance is animosity towards figuratively emasculating the male species. Coherent influences suggest an opposed construct of male dominance.
Psychology Today discusses the importance of men’s mental health and encourages men to not live in silence. There is never a discussion about the suicide rates of men, who are 50% of the population but more than 75% of suicides according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I’ve learned many men do not use mental health services. It could explain the escalation of Men’s violence against women.
The article does not examine rising violence against women as an epidemic without mental health services. Psychology Today lists six reasons why men face barriers when seeking assistance as: “Dominant masculine ideals, often involving stoicism, independence, strength, and control. Poor mental health knowledge, which can manifest as difficulty communicating or recognizing a need for psychological help. Societal and self- stigma, which can cause shame about being seen as weak, discomfort with emotional disclosure, and problem minimization. A typical symptom expression (male depressive syndrome), which isn’t adequately captured in current diagnostic criteria. Clinician biases, stereotypes, and discomfort due to rigid assumptions regarding common male behaviors and response. Lack of men-centered services.”
Whether this is true for some men and not for others, the two Psychology Today articles do not discuss the importance of preventive steps to assist in nonviolent behavior for some. The criteria for emotional regulation are another concept many do not discuss in men’s mental health. Instead, multicultural, religious beliefs, social norms, inherent teachings, and other factors generally group all men together and say, statistically, men will not seek mental health services.
