THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEKING HELP

Jack acknowledged that getting help was the hardest step. “I remember telling myself that if I told people [about the PPD] I would just be a burden to them. I was convinced that everyone would be better off without me.

“I felt Bianca was the one who did all the work – she brought him into the world, she went through the pregnancy and I am the one who has depression and is crying on the floor. I felt so much guilt and shame and embarrassment about that.”

Jack eventually found the strength to seek out a therapist, and that’s when everything changed.

“You convince yourself that they’ll tell you, ‘Get out, I only deal with real trauma, this is nothing, you’re just being weak – go suck it up’. Of course, they’re not going to say that,” he said.

Joanna Kleovoulou, clinical psychologist and founder of PsychMatters Family Centre in Bedfordview, points out that men are more prone to falling into self-destructive patterns of behaviour rather than getting professional help when struggling emotionally.

“They may avoid or delay seeking treatment because of stigma, being treated differently or the perception that having a mental health issue diminishes their masculinity,” she says. “Stigma often comes from lack of understanding or fear. And these stigmas and toxic masculinity ultimately create a space in which people are scared to speak about their health or accept their diagnosis.”

Getting help isn’t only best for a parent’s overall wellbeing. “It also has a profound ripple effect on your relationship with your partner and your children,” Kleovoulou adds.