It's OK to Talk: A Practical Guide to Mental Health for Men

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Like all tools, though, you’ll want to use it correctly. These tips can help you maximize the benefits of self-directed speech. Positive words only We're hiring quite a lot of new people at GDS, and that's brilliant because there are so many new brains and new skills and new faces to get to know.

I say all of this from a position of experience, because the best thing that I did for myself was to open up. Only when I shared my emotions, did I begin to feel the load lighten and in turn spied a light at the end of the tunnel.

We ALL have a duty to stand up to racism and call it out wherever we encounter it. As Adam Coldwells, our Deputy Chief Executive, says in the intro to the video, NHS Grampian will stand shoulder to shoulder with you in doing so and take robust action where it occurs. Opening up when we’re struggling can be the hardest thing, but if we have problems, we need to share them." Try: “You’ve put a lot of effort into this. It’s taking a long time, true, but you can definitely get it done. Just keep going a little longer.” Question yourself Society’s attitudes and expectations of how men should be are part of the problem. We need to challenge these attitudes and behaviours and make it okay for men to talk and get help when they need it. The uncomfortable truth is that traditional notions of what it is to be a man today are killing men. Let me appeal to the logical, ‘man’ side of your brain. Imagine if you are helping someone carry something. And they are loading you up, adding more things for you to carry until you realise you can’t hold any more. You’ve reached the limit of your strength and any second now you are going to drop everything. Would you say that you need to share the load? You would. So why should your mental health be any different? Why should you allow yourself to be loaded up until you break?

Conversations really do help men stay mentally healthy and we know there is a close association with suicide and poor mental health. It’s time for men everywhere to break their silence and to recognise the key to overcoming some of the biggest problems is to start talking.Of course they get told all the official stuff - how they get paid, how to use the printer, who their line manager is. Mantras like “I am strong,” “I am loved,” and “I can face my fears today” can all help you feel more confident. This film features the brave and frank experiences of three of our colleagues - Sneh, Sesi and Bianca - but we know there are more. If you experience racism or if you need ANY help, advice or support with an issue related to race, know that you are not alone.