He thought no one cared for him — until a burly 6'4" stranger walked up and sat beside him

Men often struggle silently and believe that no one cares about them. A user who goes by u/Afraid-Obejctive3049 shared the story of a man who felt the same kind of isolation. He was struggling, so he went out to get a few drinks, never imagining that someone would care about him or his state. However, he was surprised to see a big, bulky stranger walk up to him and initiate a conversation. The duo’s exchange left the man with an experience that completely transformed his perspective, shining as an example to others going through similar times. 

According to Aspen Valley Health, a majority of men are struggling with mental health issues. There are several underlying reasons, the top ones being stereotypical perceptions of men as tough and strong individuals who don't require help, lack of connection with family and friends, and so on. Due to these reasons, men are often unable to share how they feel, seek comfort or get help. The man’s post conveyed a similar feeling of helplessness. He mentioned that he was in a “dark place” and had to get out of his house, deciding to venture into a pub by himself. There, he started drinking and eventually landed up at a nightclub. 

“I’m not allowed to drink because of my health issues, so this was the first time I was drunk in 2 years,” he said. In his stupor, the man sat all by himself and began to overthink. “I sat in the corner, upset, realizing that nobody cares,” he remarked. Right as he neared the edge of despair, a big, 6’4” man approached and sat beside him. Eventually, they got into a conversation and went on to speak for an hour about life. “He wasn’t drunk. He saw I was in pain and wanted to help,” the man said. Eventually, the duo even discussed how men are often left alone to deal with their struggles. 

“He told me he hated seeing men suffering because we don’t get any support,” the post read. Even the stranger’s girlfriend and sister approached the man to check on him. A simple conversation turned out to be everything he had needed at the moment. The stranger even shared his contact details, insisting the man call him whenever he needed, even going so far as to walk him back home safely. “He told me he would drop everything to come and hang out if I was ever lonely,” the post read. “I woke up happy for the first time in a while and it showed me how much people do care about me, even people I didn’t know." 

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, June is dedicated to spreading awareness about Men’s Mental Health. People are encouraged to reach out to the men in their lives and check on them. The man’s story touched every man who's silently struggling, with many realizing that there was hope and help available for them too. u/C_W_H said, “I'm in a dark place currently and reading this helped me. Thank you.” u/Mc-Master-Bedroom suggested, “There is a worldwide organization called The Skull and Beard Society dedicated to men helping each other and learning to accept help themselves.” u/Amilerian added, “I love knowing that there are people in the world helping people just because they can.”