Navigating mental health can often feel like traversing the corrugations on the PDR at times for many with a Y chromosome, but editor Lyndon Keane says men owe it to themselves – and those around them – to do something about the bumps in the road. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
If you ask most blokes, there are about a million things on the list of things they’d rather do than actively discuss their mental health, especially in front of other men.
Change that to things they’d prefer to focus on than actually addressing their mental health concerns, and I promise you the items on the list are now orbiting somewhere in the vicinity of two or three million.
Perhaps it’s some ancient Y chromosome throwback, but while we will readily – and proudly – show off gruesome injuries to anyone who’ll have a look, our lips become inexplicably glued together when it comes to mentioning we’re concerned about what’s going on between our ears. Broken arm sustained doing stupid things on a motorbike? Straight to social media. Feeling out of sorts and not quite yourself? I’ll bottle that one up and pretend it’s not a thing, thank you very much.
Society certainly deserves an element of mea culpa for the sad state of affairs relating to men’s mental health. To a degree, we’re still told from a young age that men and boys are meant to be tough, resilient and the masters of all things physical. You know, from changing a tyre in a thunderstorm to taking down a buffalo to provide for the family armed with nothing more than a slingshot and rugged masculinity. I think so many of us are worried about living up to the hype of being a man’s man and not showing weakness in the eyes of those around us that we completely ignore the impact that bullshit pressure is having on our mental wellbeing.
Here’s a fun little fact to keep in your pocket until you need it: the strongest, manliest thing a bloke can do is admit he isn’t okay. Granted, dropping a buffalo with a slingshot is probably a close second, but putting your hand up and asking for help takes more balls and backbone than most men will ever muster in a lifetime.
It’s not just suicide I’m talking about here. Mental health impacts every aspect of our daily lives, and it can often be amplified when you call a remote place where everyone knows everyone else home. If your head’s not right, it’s a near certainty it’s having a negative impact on not only you, but your partner, kids, mates, colleagues and every community member you encounter. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all about you.
In our part of the world, we’re lucky we have some incredible, passionate people working tirelessly to give men the kick up the arse most need to start considering mental health a priority. You only had to look at the turnout at Carpentaria Golf Club for the Are You Bogged Mate? session on Friday night to see we all know it’s important. The conversations need to be had, whether with a health professional or while sledging mates putting in a charity golf day, so what are you waiting for?
If your mental health isn’t where it should be, remember the journey out of the darkness isn’t one you have to take alone. The most terrifying step is usually the first, and if you’ve admitted you need a hand, you’ve already taken it. There are phone numbers at the end of this editorial for those wanting confidential help, but there are also plenty of blokes in our own backyard across Cape York who have been there and are more than happy to listen and offer a bit of advice. My number’s also on the front page of every edition of the paper, so feel free to give me a bell or bail me up when you see me around the traps.
It’s time to become the strongest, most resilient and awe-inspiring men we can be. We owe it to ourselves and everyone around us, especially those who look to us for guidance about how a real man should act.
If you need to speak to someone urgently about your mental health, you can call Lifeline (13 11 44), MensLine Australia (1300 789 978), Beyond Blue (1300 224 636), 13Yarn (13 92 76) or Brother to Brother (1800 435 799).
