The story we’re featuring on page 14 today—about cowboys in the American West who become suicidal or addicted to opioids—may at first seem far removed from our experiences in the southern tip of Africa. Yet these are the same men – and most of them men – who embody the phrase “cowboys don’t cry”. Some compete in rodeos and become addicted to drugs originally prescribed to ease the pain of their injuries. Others keep their own depression bottled up and go down the path to suicide. Of course, the opioid pandemic…
The story we’re featuring on page 14 today—about cowboys in the American West who become suicidal or addicted to opioids—may at first seem far removed from our experiences in the southern tip of Africa.
Yet these are the same men – and most of them men – who embody the phrase “cowboys don’t cry”.
Some compete in rodeos and become addicted to drugs originally prescribed to ease the pain of their injuries. Others keep their own depression bottled up and go down the path to suicide.
Sure, the opioid epidemic in the United States may not have spread that far, but certainly the culture of men and boys holding back their emotions is one of the pillars on which our South African patriarchal society is built.
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As a result, some men turn to booze, drugs, and most importantly, anger as a safety valve for their mental pressure cookers.
Unfortunately, many women fall victim to this process. Boys need to be taught from the beginning – by their families and the school system – that showing and talking about emotions is not a sign of weakness.
When you also recognize your own vulnerabilities, you recognize them in others. Cowboys can and should cry…
