You can say I’m on the cusp of real manhood – wedding bells will ring soon and I’ve just gotten a flat. Sure looks like fun times ahead. But I’m not celebrating yet.

Underneath the promise of a new life also lies a whole host of responsibilities, tasks and financial matters to address. For starters, I’m still reeling from the $20,000 cash I had to pay upfront for my resale flat (the first time I’ve ever had to deal with so much money – moving out of my account). Budgeting for renovations, deciding the layout of the house, planning for a wedding amidst crushing workplace deadlines, and worrying about whether the decision to buy that “expensive” flat was right, can at times be overwhelming.

And I haven’t even moved in.

But this is what every guy goes through I tell myself – so I should suck it up. That’s what working life is like. That’s what starting a family entails. Maybe I’m a worrywart.

Uncannily, our next issue of Men’s Health has a story about suicide (I’m not contemplating it…yet.) that touches specifically on why men are more prone to the act. Statistics show that nearly world wide, male suicide rates are much higher than females’. Although the numbers of attempted suicide by women are higher, men are more likely to complete the act.

Why this startling fact? Experts I spoke to say that the nature of men, specifically our propensity to put up a strong front to avoid being ridiculed by our peers, makes us more likely to hide or deny any problems we face – keeping to ourselves turns us into pressure cookers, with potentially disastrous consequences. But worst of all, our aggressive nature makes it more likely that we’ll actually kill ourselves should we decide to end it all.

A sobering thought, but it’s something that isn’t that far off from reality – I can see how easily my world would be overturned, should I lose my job, have to rely on the missus for an allowance, and fail to keep up with the housing loan payments. Would I be pushed to the edge? I dread to think.

Guys stake their value in life on our jobs – and possibly the size of our paychecks – so losing something central to a man’s identity is definitely depressing. If that’s you, I empatise – it’s not an easy process picking yourself up while the world continues to careen away. Although it’s normal to be sad, be sure you don’t head into depression. Need someone to talk to? Local hotlines are widely available.

But if you know someone who’s teetering on the brink – it’s not easy to spot – make sure you pull him back. Ditch the male bravado and macho-tough-guy talk, sit down and listen to their problems. We’re all guys here, so you know how our minds work when we hit a speed bump: Don’t tell anyone. Don’t let anyone think less of me. Reach critical mass. Then explode.

I realise handling our problems isn’t about sucking it up and plodding on solo. It’s about having a trusted support network around you – it’s about learning when to release and rely, when to trust, and when to simply be yourself.

PS: I was joking about the suicide bit.