Battle Fever Network

This month is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month to highlight mental health challenges, break social stigmas, and encourage men to seek support. Many of you know that I, and at times on our podcast, have spoken openly about mental health. The biggest issue I have found, in all the work I’ve done, is that men, of all ages, struggle to admit they have a problem. I also had this issue. It’s a massive hurdle to overcome. Been there, done it, got the T-shirt. Look, I know it’s not easy to admit you’re struggling but, and trust me on this, you will feel a weight lift off your shoulders once you open up to someone. Do not suffer in silence. Speak to someone. A Family member, a friend, a trusted work colleague or chat to your GP. This will be the beginning of getting to grips with your mental health problems. It’s a giant step but it won’t fix everything. It’s just the beginning. If you suspect somebody isn’t themselves please ask the question ‘are you ok?’ Those are three powerful words. Their reply, and how they reply, will tell you so much. Don’t push that individual too hard as they may withdraw from the conversation. Slowly, slowly does it and the hope is that they’ll trust you enough to speak about how they’re feeling. In my experiences of working with @BackOnside it’s alarming just how many teenagers are struggling and the numbers are harrowing. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in Scotland among young men and I’ve noticed that most of the people who contact me, or the podcast, are young men who feel they have know-where else to turn. So during this month of Mental Health awareness let’s make it 12 months of Mental Health awareness and ask the question…. ‘ARE YOU OK?’ #MentalHealthAwareness