It’s time to Hearten Up

Deaths by suicide in Australia

Suicide is the leading cause of death of all people aged 15-44.

For too long people, especially men, have been told to ‘harden up’, ‘drink some concrete’, ‘toughen up’, ‘get over it’ and many more unhelpful – and actually harmful – things.

Suppressing emotions is never healthy, and not addressing how you feel and why you may feel that way, can actually contribute to poor mental health.

For men in particular, the concept of ‘being a man’ or ‘manning up’ as we have been told for generations now, means to suffer in silence and pretty much ignore your feelings.

Imagine you’re boiling a kettle, but you’ve filled the spout with leak sealant. As the water inside heats and boils, the steam has nowhere to go. Pressure builds rapidly and the kettle will shortly explode. Steam, boiling water and pieces of the kettle will be spread all over the kitchen and have lasting effects on anyone who was close to it.

Suppressing emotions and feelings creates a sealed kettle inside us, and eventually, we too will explode.

Telling someone to ‘harden up’ is the exact opposite of what they actually need to do.

Study after study has found that by talking with someone about our challenges and issues, we dramatically increase our wellbeing.
And in the case of mental health challenges depression and anxiety, talking with a health professional, ideally a GP in the first instance, will mean a treatment plan, that might include a combination of medication and psychological therapy, can be mapped out and you can begin your road to recovery.

Because you CAN recover. Just like our founder, Joel ‘JC’ Clapham.