Celeb guest:
Gethin Jones
It’s great that life is beginning to show signs of coming back to normal. For all those who have struggled mentally during lockdown, that must be a relief. But what is worrying is what’s to come – the financial repercussions and knock-on effects. While mental health issues affect us all, I read an article recently suggesting men in particular may struggle more because of their nature. Men don’t tend to open up to their friends or family as much as women do, and statistically, are less likely to seek therapy. So it’s really important to try to break the taboo around male mental health. It really is OK to talk about your feelings, lads!
Personally, I’m not like that – I’ve always been one to open up to friends, to reach out if I need to, and to ask people how they are. I always ask, ‘How are you doing, mate?’ because I know some men do find it harder to talk about themselves. I’ve had therapy myself, when I’ve had low points in my personal life, and learned coping strategies and brain training tips to help combat anxiety. It’s worked brilliantly. The way I see it, mental health issues are just like physical health issues – if someone arrived in a wheelchair, you’d open the door for them and be empathetic towards them, and mental health should be the same. To anyone finding it hard, I’d say please seek help – I promise it’ll be worth it.
● Anyone struggling can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 and at Samaritans.org.uk