I’M GOING TO BE A SOMEBODY INSTEAD OF A MALE

OMG, I just learned that it’s not okay for me to be a man, to be me:

·       According to the American Psychological Association (APA), being a traditional man is now considered on par with a mental disorder.

·       For the first time ever, the APA has issued a set of guidelines for how to approach men and boys, specifically, within a counseling practice. The new APA protocols for mental health professionals working with men and boys--released in August and available to read in their entirety in a document titled APA Guidelines for the Psychological Practice with Boys and Men--were recently summed up on the APA’s website by the statement that “research finds that traditional masculinity is, on the whole, harmful.”

·       “The main thrust of the subsequent research is that traditional masculinity—marked by stoicism, competitiveness, dominance and aggression—is, on the whole, harmful,” the January article from the APA goes on to read. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/briannaheldt/2019/01/07/american-psychological-association-labels-traditional-masculinity-as-harmful-n2538637?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&newsletterad=01/08/2019&bcid=c37e3d4acc2f437f9ac74b124b8a7c19&recip=23582074

Just to think - I used to box. Well, I guess that, if the APA has concluded this way after reviewing a lot of research, it means I’ve got to change and become something else? But how? It’s hard enough to just change my eating habits. Now I have to change everything associated with being a man. I’m afraid that this is going to stress me out and cause me more mental issues, but I’m sure that the APA has an answer for all of this. They are a trusted community of scientists and not politicians. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be recommending that we take such a leap.

But what will I change myself into? I don’t think that I would make a good dog or even a woman. I can talk to me wife about this, but I think that she’d prefer that I stay a man. I’ll just have to ask her to review their studies. Perhaps then she will begin to see the light. After all, if I am to become lady-like, I will need her help. I’m sure she’ll have some helpful pointers. I might even sign up for a cooking course and learn how to iron.

My grandkids might have a problem with this, but eventually, they will be enlightened by their schools. They will soon introduce some courses on non-maleness. Perhaps I should wait for them before I make my announcement. Meanwhile, I am sure that the mainstream media will be talking a lot about the toxicity of maleness. So I’ll be in the vanguard, a trend-setter, a hero to my family and in the eyes of the media, a man (or perhaps a “woman”) of courage. I will be a somebody!

Of course, I’ll need a good psychiatrist to lead me through this process, one who is attuned to the modern research. Surely the APA can recommend me one and I’ll be in good hands!