I dropped in to a local charity shop today and gave them a copy of The Burnout Ladder to sell. As you can see from other areas of this site, the book is about preventing mental health problems arising from chronic stress. This, in turn, comes from over-work and a lack of perspective on work/life balance.
The woman in the shop took it very gratefully, and we had a nice chat as she was very friendly. Then, she looked very quietly and studiously at the book for a few moments, and told me she had lost her son five months ago. He had been a high-achiever and was overwhelmed with work. He seemed happy enough on the outside but inside he must have been in turmoil to take his own life. A young man of 35, with a future and a family - a victim of mental health brought about by stress.
Men account for 75% of suicides in the UK (Office of National Statistics), and yet account for only 10% of my private clients. Men simply don't like to talk about emotional difficulty. I haven’t always been great myself if I am honest.
The message is simple. If you are a man suffering with mental health difficulty, please talk to someone about your mental health. I have suffered too, and know that offloading to a non-judging friend or a professional can lighten the load, giving the space to get free of the scourge of depression.
Feel free to book some time with me, or chat about someone in your life you are worried about. Let’s get control of this tragic and growing problem.
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