Saturday 19th November was International Mens Day, and it’s likely upon hearing that you’ll have the same reaction I did when I first heard about it. But it’s more than just yet another thing that needs a day about it, and there is a reason to be less cynical.
The theme for this year is ‘Stop Male Suicide’. It’s a little known fact that despite women being twice as likely to suffer from depression as men 75% of all UK suicides last year were committed by males. The archaic notion that men should not talk about their emotions, that real men don’t cry and the nauseating phrase ‘man up’ is taking the toll on the health of thousand’s of men every year.
It just never really struck me as weird, that I, a male in my mid-20s was openly talking about my struggles with depression until people started to point it out. The idea of a man not just suffering from depression, but being comfortable with talking about it publicly seems to be a rare one, something that sometimes people don’t always know how to deal with.
Openly talking about my condition and trying to raise awareness of depression is a really big deal for me. I often wonder if I knew what I know now about depression 10 years ago, and if I felt as comfortable talking about it then as I do now whether I would be suffering with it today.
I’m grateful that I am as comfortable as I am talking about my mental health, and I can only hope that it will encourage others to reach out if they need help.
It’s why for this video I’ve decided to broach the issues surrounding my mental health, and talk openly about my experiences battling with depression.
