In July 2015 I received a phone call to say that my dad had taken his life. This should never have happened.
There remains the widespread view that men aren’t supposed to talk about their personal problems because, by definition, men are supposed to be strong and in control. This was certainly the case with my dad - we were to keep his struggles between the family, and even then, we didn't know the whole story. And we never will.
The one bit of relief we saw for him was when he went out walking. Away from the pressures of day to day living - alone, and in nature, I like to think that he was able to just breathe and relax, even if just for a moment.
I'm taking on this 100K walk in tribute to him, and to at least attempt to raise awareness and challenge the culture that insists that a man who seeks support is somehow less of a man. No one should have to go through what my dad went through, and if I can support even just one person, it will be worth it.
Any help you can give will be most gratefully received; no amount is too small.
Nathalie x
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Suicide is the single biggest cause of death of men aged 20-45 in the UK and in 2014, 76% of suicides were male. Something needs to change.
CALM -- PREVENTING MALE SUICIDE
We seek to prevent male suicide by:-
-- Offering support to men in the UK, of any age, who are down or in crisis via our helpline and website.
-- Challenging a culture that prevents men seeking help when they need it, see www.yearofthemale.com
-- Pushing for changes in policy and practice so that suicide is better prevented
OUR VALUES
-- We believe that if men felt able to ask for and find help when they need it then hundreds of male suicides could be prevented. We believe that there is a cultural barrier preventing men from seeking help as they are expected to be in control at all times, and failure to be seen as such equates to weakness and a loss of masculinity.
-- We’re a campaign for all men, not just ‘service users’. All of us, at one time or another regardless of gender, will hit a crisis and so we could all do with specialist support when things go wrong.
-- We aren’t here to represent health professionals or the mental health industry. CALM is about, for and on behalf of men. We use young men’s peers, their voices and interests to reach them. We seek to work with clubs, venues and brands with voices that men respect, feel comfortable with and trust to get our message across.
