The Men I Couldn’t Save: Male Archetypes In Psychiatric Therapy

Why I Am The Antifeminist Psychiatrist II

Men are underrepresented in psychiatric therapy for the most common disorders— anxiety, burnout, and depression. Partly because they are less sensitive to negative emotion and partly perhaps due to a stoicism that delays seeking help. Just as I highlighted some recurring patterns I had been observing in my work as a psychiatrist amongst women, I have also begun to see some clear patterns amongst the men who end up on my couch.

The reason it’s possible to separate patients into these archetypes, I believe, is that the most common psychiatric disorders—collections of symptoms of psychological distress—are often rooted in life problems rather than endogenous pathology. These life problems, in turn, are shaped by cultural norms and interpersonal dynamics. Hence, it’s natural that the female archetypes would have corresponding male ones.

Patrick, Penelope’s Partner

I first meet Patrick during a couple’s therapy session with his girlfriend, Penelope, whom I had previously seen individually. He…