Mens Mental Health.
November
Mens Mental Health Awareness Month
It’s November, Mens Mental Health Awareness Month. I know as a woman, a lot of us enjoy this time of year, men growing out their moustaches for Movember, but the meaning behind the campaign runs so much deeper than just an aesthetic.
What is the campagin?
It’s to raise awareness and shed some light on the mental health struggles men face, which can be overlooked. It’s to encourage open conversation and break down barriers. It’s promoting well being, to get health checks, not just mental but physical too. It’s to challenge the stigma, that men have to be ‘stoic’ and ‘don’t cry’.
Male suicide is the single biggest killer in men under 50. In the UK alone, 14 men die by suicide everyday. That is 14 too many.
Percentage of total suicides: Males accounted for approximately 75% of suicide deaths registered in England and Wales.
Male suicide rate: The age-standardised rate for males in England and Wales was 17.6 deaths per 100,000 people.
My family is predominantly male and it’s not a shameful thing to admit that a lot of them have suffered with their mental health. I have my dad, my brother, my nephews, grandparents, my cousins, my friends, all of these men, all of these have experienced a struggle with their mental health at some point in their life.
As a woman, I am not naive to knowing that we deal with things differently to men. So I asked the men in my life, how do you deal with your mental health? I left the question open, whether that being sustaining good mental health, whether that being when they’re in a rough patch or going through something.
Here’s some of the responses;
‘I have a hobby in golf that gets me outside, in the fresh air where I can be social and talk to my friends about my problems. It’s also a problem solving game that means I can focus on that and take my mind off my problems, I put my phone on DND and just escape for a bit’.
‘Working helps me, sometimes the gym’.
‘Talking 100%. Your mind will tell you not to because you think you’re bothering people or people will think this and that but it’s not true. Good people around you will never make you feel like that and even if it’s just a tiny but, it will always help and make you feel better’.
‘The gym, nothing makes me feel better other than throwing around weights. I finally feel like my mind goes quiet’.
‘Talking to my friends, not really about what i’m feeling but they distract me’.
I want the men in my life, and in your life to talk, to reach out for help when they need it to not feel afraid or ashamed. The only way we can do this is by letting them come to us, knowing its a judgement free and safe place to vent, to talk and to be able to seek help.
Opening up about feelings of anxiety, stress, or depression is a courageous step that breaks down harmful stigmas and saves lives. By sharing your experience, you not only lighten your own load but also give permission for the men around you—your friends, brothers, fathers, and sons—to finally seek the help and support they deserve.
I’m going to link as much help, as many mens mental health charities and places to seek advise from here;
ANDYSMANCLUB - https://andysmanclub.co.uk/ - ANDYSMANCLUB has free support groups nationwide, running every Monday from 7PM except bank holidays. In these groups, men can open up about the storms affecting their lives in a safe, judgement-free and non-clinical environment. Our clubs are designed to be free of pressure, there is no obligation for men to speak, they can simply listen if they wish.
MENS MINDS MATTTER - https://www.mensmindsmatter.org/
MANUP? - https://www.manup.how/
Talk Lines;
Shout - 85258
The Samaritans - 116 123
Minds Support Line -0300 102 1234
Immediate help;
Call 999 if you are at risk.
Call 111 if you need to be seen.
Call your local crisis team.