Sheridan, USA October 04, 2025 Innovation Times Senior Correspondent
Even the strongest men shatter, healing begins when you admit the cracks. These words capture the essence of Dr. Allen Mallari’s moving chapter When Strong Men Break in the anthology Men Don’t Cry. On October 10, World Mental Health Day, Dr. Mallari will take the stage to share his story as part of this year’s theme, Breaking the Silence: Men’s Mental Health and Access to Care in Times of Crisis. His voice, and this chapter, could not arrive at a more critical time.
Dr. Mallari’s story begins with an image many men know all too well. He was the man with the wide smile, the constant encourager, the person everyone else leaned on. To his friends, family, and colleagues, he embodied strength, positivity, and energy. Yet beneath the light he carried outwardly, shadows quietly grew. Depression did not arrive with fanfare; it crept in unnoticed, hidden beneath the very persona of strength that people praised.
This revelation is both unsettling and liberating. It reminds us that appearances are often deceiving. In a society that conditions men to equate worth with resilience, Dr. Mallari’s honesty reveals a sobering truth: depression does not always look like tears or despair. Sometimes it looks like busyness, achievement, or even joy. For men, pain often wears a mask.
The chapter unfolds with raw vulnerability as Dr. Mallari explains how he filled his days with endless activity, convinced that constant motion would keep him safe from what was breaking inside. Smiling, working, achieving, encouraging, it all became a cover. The more he appeared to thrive, the more invisible his suffering became. To others, he was doing well. To himself, he was deteriorating.
What makes When Strong Men Break so powerful is its universality. Many men will see themselves in these words. They too may have been the dependable one, the strong one, the man everyone admired, all while silently crumbling inside. Dr. Mallari names what many cannot: that silence and strength can become a deadly combination.
In telling his story, Dr. Mallari dismantles one of the most harmful cultural myths: that strong men do not struggle. His chapter insists that the measure of strength is not in how long a man hides his pain, but in how willing he is to admit it. True courage is not the absence of cracks but the willingness to face them.
This message resonates powerfully with the theme of World Mental Health Day. Access to care begins with honesty, with breaking silence, with saying the words many men fear most: “I am not okay.” Dr. Mallari’s chapter provides a roadmap for this admission. He does not present weakness as failure but as the beginning of healing.
One of the striking insights in his chapter is the way depression disguises itself in men. While society expects sadness to appear in obvious ways; withdrawal, tears, lack of motivation, Dr. Mallari shows how men often cope differently. They become busier, louder, more productive, more generous. They perform strength so well that no one, not even themselves, notices the slow erosion happening inside.
The power of his narrative lies in this paradox. Strength, as the world defines it, can become the very cage that traps men in silence. Yet when that cage breaks, when men finally admit the cracks, that is when real freedom begins.
As a reporter covering mental health, it is clear that When Strong Men Break does more than tell one man’s story. It opens a doorway for countless others. It validates the hidden pain of men who wear smiles while battling storms. It reassures them that breaking is not the end. It is the beginning of healing.
The chapter is filled with wisdom that feels both spiritual and practical. Dr. Mallari does not romanticize suffering. He names its cost; exhaustion, emptiness, despair but he also names its potential. Pain, when acknowledged, can be transformed into resilience. Silence, when broken, can lead to freedom.
His words remind us that depression is not a character flaw. Anxiety is not weakness. Emotional struggle is not unmanly. These are human battles that demand human compassion, not judgment.
Readers of Men Don’t Cry will find in Dr. Mallari’s chapter a mirror. For men, it may reflect their own hidden struggles. For women, it may reveal what the men they love are too afraid to say. For communities, it may expose the damaging silence that surrounds men’s mental health.
As October 10 approaches, this chapter becomes even more urgent. The global crisis in men’s mental health is undeniable. Suicide rates remain disproportionately high among men. Access to care is hindered by stigma, shame, and cultural expectations. In this context, Dr. Mallari’s story is both a challenge and an invitation.
He challenges men to abandon the false script that says strength means silence. He invites them into a new narrative where healing is not only possible but honorable. His vulnerability shows that when strong men break, they do not vanish. They rebuild. They redefine strength. They rise differently.
The brilliance of this chapter is that it leaves no reader untouched. Even those who have never battled depression themselves will come away with a deeper understanding of how pain hides, how silence suffocates, and how honesty heals.
For men who have long felt trapped by the image of unbreakable strength, this chapter may be the spark that saves their life. For communities, it may be the beginning of new conversations, new openness, and new pathways to care.
As a work of writing, When Strong Men Break is a gift. As part of the book Men Don’t Cry, it stands among other powerful testimonies that together form a chorus of voices calling for change. This is more than a book; it is a movement toward healing.
For those seeking to join this movement, the book is readily available. The Amazon Kindle edition offers instant access. The Paperback edition provides a tangible companion for personal reflection or group discussion. The Hardcover edition makes a lasting addition to any library.
Purchasing Men Don’t Cry is not just buying a book. It is choosing to stand with men in their silent battles. It is choosing to break stigma, open doors to care, and declare that strong men, too, can cry, heal, and rise.
Dr. Allen Mallari’s chapter will be remembered not only for its honesty but for its courage. By telling the world that even strong men break, he tells us something even greater: that brokenness is not the end, and that healing is not only possible but powerful.
On World Mental Health Day, his words will echo across the globe. They will remind us all that silence must end, that stigma must fall, and that healing begins the moment a man admits his cracks.
When Strong Men Break is not just a chapter. It is a call to courage. It is a testimony that strength is not found in pretending, but in healing. And it is a reminder that every man, no matter how strong, deserves the chance to be whole again.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Prof. Allen Mallari, Ph.D., is an esteemed educator, author, and kingdom leader committed to helping individuals live out their divine calling. With extensive experience in both academia and ministry, he teaches spiritual growth, leadership, and practical application of biblical principles in everyday life. As the founder and senior pastor of Seek Jesus Christ Ministries, as well as initiatives like the Proficiency Heart Literacy Institute, SJFM Academy, and Godthering Ministry, Dr. Mallari has been a driving force in empowering individuals through education and spiritual development. His leadership also extends into civic engagement, serving as a Las Vegas Commissioner for the Asian Pacific Islander community, where he advocates for social justice and community growth.
Passionate about coaching and mentoring, Dr. Mallari envisions uniting global churches and equipping leaders to step into their purpose with clarity and integrity. Through his Kingdom Ambassador series, he guides readers on a transformative journey of self-discovery, leadership, and service, helping them activate their God-given gifts and lead with the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. His mission is clear: to help individuals and communities fulfill their divine potential and leave a lasting impact in God’s Kingdom, inspiring generations to come.
