HEALTH

Strong Men Don’t Have to Struggle Alone

Published

1 month ago

September 13, 2026

Current Editor

Too many men have learned to hide exhaustion, loneliness and emotional pain behind the words “I’m fine.” Real strength begins when we are willing to tell the truth.

By Richard Oostra | The Current

Ask a man how he is doing and there is a good chance you will receive one of three answers:

“Good.”

“Busy.”

“Can’t complain.”

Sometimes those answers are true. Sometimes they are simply the quickest way to end the conversation.

Many men have spent their entire lives learning how to provide, protect, compete and persevere. We are taught to solve problems, carry responsibility and keep moving forward. Those can be admirable qualities. Families, workplaces and communities depend on men who are dependable and resilient.

But resilience is not the same as silence.

A man can appear successful while privately feeling exhausted, disconnected or overwhelmed. He may continue going to work, paying the bills and fulfilling his responsibilities while gradually losing his motivation, relationships and sense of purpose.

The warning signs are not always obvious. Struggle does not necessarily look like sadness. In men, it can appear as anger, irritability, overworking, increased drinking, reckless behaviour, poor sleep or withdrawing from the people who care about them.

The Canadian Mental Health Association advises families and friends to pay attention when a man becomes unusually distant, tired, angry or uninterested in activities he normally enjoys. These changes can be signs that something deeper is happening.

This is not a small issue. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, men account for nearly three-quarters of suicide deaths in this country, and the suicide rate among men is almost three times the rate among women.

Those numbers should force us to reconsider what we call strength.

The Pressure to Appear Fine

Many men were raised to believe that admitting pain creates a burden for others. They tell themselves that someone else has it worse, that they should be grateful or that they simply need to toughen up.

As a result, they wait.

They wait until stress becomes burnout. They wait until loneliness becomes isolation. They wait until frustration damages a marriage, a friendship or a relationship with their children. They wait until a manageable health concern becomes a crisis.

We would never tell a man with chest pain to hide it because other people have heart problems. We would tell him to get help. Mental and emotional pain deserve the same seriousness.

Asking for help is not surrender. It is taking responsibility before the damage spreads.

Busyness Can Hide Loneliness

Men can be surrounded by people and still feel profoundly alone.

Work meetings, social media contacts and casual conversations are not always genuine connections. A man may speak with dozens of people during the day without having one conversation in which he feels safe enough to be honest.

Statistics Canada has found that frequent loneliness is associated with poorer mental health and lower overall life satisfaction. Recent Canadian mental-health reporting also suggests that many men lack strong social-support networks and have never sought professional mental-health assistance.

Loneliness is not a personal failure. But ignoring it will not make it disappear.

Friendship requires effort, especially as we get older. Careers become demanding. Families require attention. People move away. Old friendships fade because neither person wants to be the first to admit that the relationship matters.

The solution does not have to begin with a dramatic emotional conversation. It can begin with a phone call, a coffee, a walk or an invitation to do something together.

Connection is built through repetition. We have to show up.

Start With What You Can Control

Mental health is complex, and practical habits are not replacements for professional care. However, our daily choices can strengthen the foundation on which better health is built.

Start with the basics.

Move your body every day. You do not need an expensive gym membership or a complicated program. Walk, lift weights, cycle, swim, work in the yard or play a sport. Exercise can provide structure, improve physical health and create opportunities for connection.

Protect your sleep. Constant exhaustion affects patience, judgment and emotional control. Staying up late scrolling through a phone is not recovery.

Pay attention to alcohol. A drink may temporarily dull stress, but it does not resolve what is causing it. If drinking is becoming the main way you relax, sleep, socialize or avoid difficult feelings, it is time for an honest assessment.

Create some quiet. Many of us fill every spare moment with news, entertainment, work or social media because silence gives uncomfortable thoughts room to surface. Those thoughts may be telling us something we need to address.

Most importantly, speak to someone. That person might be a spouse, trusted friend, doctor, counsellor, coach, faith leader or family member. You do not need a perfect explanation. You can simply say, “I haven’t been myself lately, and I think I need to talk.”

That sentence can change the direction of a life.

Check on the Men Around You

We also have a responsibility to notice one another.

If a friend has disappeared from the usual gatherings, call him. If a co-worker seems unusually angry or withdrawn, ask him privately if something is going on. If your father, brother, son or neighbour keeps insisting that everything is fine while his behaviour says otherwise, ask again.

Do not settle for “How are you?”

Try something more specific:

“You haven’t seemed like yourself lately. What’s happening?”

“I’ve noticed you’ve been pulling away. Are you doing okay?”

“You don’t have to handle this by yourself. How can I help?”

Then listen. Do not immediately lecture, diagnose or attempt to fix everything. Give the person room to speak without making him regret being honest.

A Better Definition of Strength

Real strength is not pretending that nothing hurts.

Strength is recognizing when something is wrong and taking action. It is having the courage to make the appointment, answer the phone, repair the relationship or admit that the weight has become too heavy to carry alone.

We need men who are strong enough to provide and protect. But we also need men who are emotionally present, connected to their families, involved in their communities and willing to care for their own health.

No man becomes weaker by asking for help.

He becomes more capable of showing up for the people and responsibilities that matter most.

If you are struggling, say something today. If you are worried about someone, reach out today. Do not wait for the perfect moment or the perfect words.

Start the conversation.

It may be the strongest thing either of you does.

Richard Oostra is a high-performance coach who writes about physical and mental health, discipline, resilience, relationships, purpose and building stronger communities. https://richardoostra.com/

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 anywhere in Canada. If there is immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

Richard Oostra examines men’s mental health, loneliness and the pressure to appear strong—and offers practical ways to reconnect and seek help.

Supporting health information: Public Health Agency of Canada suicide statistics, Health Canada on men’s health, and Canadian Mental Health Association guidance.

HEALTH

What You Need to Know About the Recent Surge in St. Stephen Overdose Calls

RCMP are investigating potential criminal links following a rise in drug overdose calls in St. Stephen, N.B., where multiple people were hospitalized.

Published

2 days ago

October 21, 2026

Current Editor

Emergency Responders Handle Spike in St. Stephen Overdose Incidents

Multiple individuals required hospitalization following a series of overdose calls in St. Stephen between Oct. 18 and Oct. 20. Non-profit organization Neighbourhood Works confirmed its shelter, Lighthouse Lodge, responded to an increased number of cases over the past week, with staff and emergency personnel providing urgent care before the patients were treated and released.

Police Search for Illicit Drug Suppliers

In response to the sudden rise in medical emergencies, the RCMP announced an investigation into possible criminal activity connected to the incidents. Mounties are actively seeking information regarding individuals who might be distributing illicit substances in the region. Although overdose responses are primarily medical, authorities are evaluating potential criminal ties.

Local Organization Warns of Unpredictable Drug Supply

Neighbourhood Works emphasized in a community letter that the specific substances involved remain unconfirmed pending official findings. The non-profit noted that these occurrences highlight the ongoing hazards of an unpredictable drug supply affecting both large centers and smaller rural areas like St. Stephen. The RCMP reminded the public that consuming illegal drugs carries inherent risks due to unknown contents, urging anyone with relevant information to contact local police or New Brunswick RCMP at 1-888-506-7267.

COMMUNITY

Redeployment of Primary Care Nurse Practitioners to Emergency Rooms Raises Safety Concerns in Northern New Brunswick

Nurse practitioners in northern N.B. face forced redeployment to ER shifts at Campbellton Regional Hospital, raising patient care concerns.

Published

3 days ago

October 20, 2026

Current Editor

Staffing Shifts Trigger Patient Care Concerns

Patients in northern New Brunswick are facing potential disruptions to their health care as nurse practitioners are involuntarily reassigned from primary care positions to cover staffing shortages in a regional emergency room.

According to an Oct. 18 statement from Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick, several employees from the Restigouche region—specifically around three to four practitioners residing in the Dalhousie area—have been reassigned to serve as registered nurses in the Campbellton Regional Hospital’s emergency department.

Concerns Over Legal and Professional Obligations

Sharon Hamilton, president of Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick, cautioned that the sudden transfers place both patients and practitioners in jeopardy. She noted that affected practitioners received short notice—sometimes only days—before being assigned to hospital shifts expected to last up to six months.

“It puts the patients in great jeopardy,” Hamilton said, “as well as putting the nurse practitioner … their licence in jeopardy because they have a legal obligation to their patients.”

Hamilton stressed that nurse practitioners possess advanced training allowing them to prescribe medication, order tests, and diagnose conditions independently. Abrupt reassignments leave little time to arrange ongoing coverage, leaving practitioners concerned about legal responsibility if their regular primary care patients suffer delayed treatment or misdiagnosis. She warned that displaced patients might ultimately seek care at overcrowded emergency rooms.

Health Network Defends Necessary Emergency Coverage

Vitalité Health Network stated that the temporary involuntary reassignments are essential for keeping emergency services operational while new staff undergo training. Dr. France Desrosiers, CEO of the health network, explained via email that volunteers from other departments and health zones have assisted in Campbellton since the summer, but temporary forced redeployments remain necessary for a small number of workers.

“These measures are necessary to navigate this transition period and maintain access to essential services,” Desrosiers wrote, adding that while open to finding long-term solutions, the network will not halt reassignments until an alternative is established. “This is not about choosing between primary care and emergency services. Our responsibility is to protect both,” she stated.

Calls for Transparency and Long-Term Solutions

The advocacy group fears this temporary measure could establish a precedent permitting regional health authorities across the province to pull healthcare professionals from primary practices at will. Hamilton pointed out that taking providers out of primary care runs counter to provincial efforts to reduce the estimated 270,000 to 280,000 residents currently without a primary care provider.

Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick is demanding transparency from Vitalité and the provincial government regarding the decision’s rationale and its full impact on local primary care. The organization is asking for timely replacement coverage for affected patients and urging officials to directly involve nurse practitioners in crafting a sustainable, long-term staffing strategy. The Department of Health did not respond to requests for comment.

COMMUNITY

Free COVID-19, Flu, and RSV Vaccines Arrive for New Brunswick Residents This Fall

Free updated COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines will be available to eligible New Brunswick residents starting Oct. 13 through pharmacies and health clinics.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 3, 2026

Current Editor

Updated Immunization Access Starts Oct. 13

Free updated vaccinations against influenza and COVID-19 will become accessible to New Brunswick residents aged six months and older beginning Oct. 13. Individuals seeking to protect themselves can arrange appointments using the provincial web portal, through participating local pharmacies, or via select primary care providers. Both shots are permitted to be given during a single appointment.

Target Groups and Pediatric Delivery

Dr. Yves Léger, the province’s chief medical officer of health, strongly advises those facing higher risks of severe illness—including seniors aged 65 and up, residents of long-term care or congregate living facilities, expectant mothers, and individuals managing chronic medical conditions—to get immunized.

“With respiratory illness season approaching, vaccination is an important step people can take to protect their health and help protect others,” Dr. Léger stated. “Receiving both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines can reduce the chance of becoming seriously ill, requiring hospitalization and spreading illness to others.”

For children, shots can be accessed via Public Health offices or primary care providers, while select pharmacies cater to youth two years and older. Needle-hesitant youth between two and 17 years old can alternatively receive FluMist, an inhaled nasal spray flu vaccine.

RSV and Pneumococcal Disease Protection

The province’s 2026-27 respiratory illness prevention initiative also incorporates free coverage for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) protection aimed at vulnerable groups, including seniors, infants, and individuals with compromised immune systems or conditions like diabetes and heart disease. RSV cases across New Brunswick dropped to 1,509 confirmed instances between August 2025 and August 2026, down from 2,552 recorded in the prior 12-month span.

Under the plan, infants born on or after April 1, 2026, can receive a single protective RSV dose prior to hospital discharge or via Public Health units, primary care providers, and First Nations community health centers before reaching eight months of age during their initial season. High-risk infants may qualify for a secondary dose in their second season.

Additionally, health officials urge residents 65 and older, as well as younger adults facing elevated risk, to verify their status regarding the free pneumococcal vaccine to guard against severe conditions such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and meningitis.