>>130205241White men tend to experience societal pressures to bottle up their emotions to appear tough and masculine, which carries the implication that being open about your feelings and seeking help is thus feminine, which in the eyes of society is a taboo.
With this in mind, I'd say the answer is closer to the former. Deep down, men wish they could be as open about the shit that goes on in their heads as women are, but don't want to deal with the ridicule that comes with admitting it, so they keep putting up with it until the rope sounds easier.
