No shame in men saying
DEPRESSION NEEDS TO BE OUT IN OPEN, SAYS BOSS PAUL
Reporter HE’S the man who founded one of the region’s best-known children’s charities but behind his successful front is a dad who has suffered depression.
Now Paul Bannister is using his experience of mental health to help other men who are finding it difficult to cope with every day life.
And to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, which begins today, his new organisation called ManHealth has commissioned a series of powerful short films that aim to embody the symptoms of depression such as social isolation, loss of appetite and libido and suicidal thoughts.
The North East has one of the highest rates of suicide in the country and he is out to tackle the growing statistics.
The videos are written by County Durham writer and actor David Napthine, whose work includes plays for Channel 4, the BBC and is currently a Writer in Residence at Durham University. The films aim to give a greater insight into how depressive thoughts can consume a sufferer’s life.
Paul, 53, founded Heel & Toe Children’s Charity, which provides support to youngsters with cerebral palsy and their families, after being inspired by his daughter Hannah.
He has been awarded Big Lottery cash to establish ManHealth, the region’s first peer-to-peer support network for men suffering from depression.
Paul, a former business studies teacher, who worked at Prudhoe High School and Kepier Academy, Houghton-le-Spring, struggled with his own mental health for many years. But he found that friendship with another sufferer helped him to overcome the condition.
His experience led him to start ManHealth, a community interest company that aims to challenge a culture of silent suffering and give more men the opportunity to talk openly about mental health and suicide.
Paul said: “Through our friendship, I gradually became aware of my own depression. On bad days I was unable to get out of bed, something I had simply put down to being ill. It was then pushed to the back of my mind, I was unable to accept there was a problem at all.
“This friendship formed the cornerstone of the ManHealth concept. After conducting initial research, I became convinced there was a significant need for a service that would comprise of groups of similar and like-minded men who could feel safe and mutually supported talking about their issues around poor mental health in total confidence.”
He added: “There are pockets in the North East in the old mining communities that are among the highest rate of suicide in the country. The national average is 12 in every 100,000 but that figure jumps to 24 in every 100,000 in places like Shildon and Bishop Auckland.”
Following the launch of the first support group in Paul’s home town of Shildon, County Durham, ManHealth now plans to roll out the sessions across the North East and is hoping the new films will encourage more men who have experienced depression to get in touch.
Paul said: “Men are not good at talking at the best of times but often mental health is a particularly thorny issue that will not be discussed as it’s perceived as a sign of weakness.
“Through a combination of shame, embarrassment and male pride talking about their mental health issues, to even their closest friends and family, is completely off the table.
“But discussing their issues with others in a similar position who have been through, or are still going through, similar problems, such as experiencing depression, we found there to be a very positive response.”
The first of the films was released last night at https://youtu.be/lMdCs1KgfrU. The other two being released during the week.
For more information visit www. manhealth.org.uk or call 01388 320023 email: info@ManHealth.org. uk. Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/manhealthCIC/. Twitter: https://twitter.com/manhealthcic
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin. com/in/manhealth-a107b812a/