Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 and this is a growing crisis around the world. Mental health is a large factor in triggering suicide within men who feel they are unable to reach out for help and talk about the dark feelings they’ve been having due to fear of being emasculated. To put the suicide rate in to perspective, 6,000+ people die of suicide per year and 75% are men. This is devastating and is all due to men feeling as though they can’t open up or confide in someone about what they’re going through.
Scott Hall, a 22 year old ventilation installer from Newcastle says, “I can understand why men struggle to open up because of the stigma surrounding it.” He also went on to say, “a close friend of mine started to feel depressed and he reached out to one of those suicide hotline’s before coming and speaking to us about it.”
Suicide hotlines are extremely useful as victims of depression and mental health illnesses are able to chat anonymously to Samaritan workers before confiding in those close to them.
Due to suicides rates increasing and becoming more prominent and important to talk about this year in particular, Coronation Street writer, Jonathan Harvey decided to tackle this problem and promote awareness. The death of Aidan, played by Shane Ward in Coronation Street will go down as one of the most powerful episodes in soap history. Jonathan Harvey says “The show didn’t set out to tackle male suicide as a problem within society but rather to send a message about seeking help. He says “I wanted to be as honest as possible”.
If you have been affected by Aidan's story, please visit https://t.co/W35MEHRVYR where help and support is available. #Corrie #CoronationStreet #LetsStartTalking pic.twitter.com/fSU82DC9Cn
— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) 12 May 2018
The heartbreakingly powerful episode has shone a light over male suicide and how the stigma of males being too ashamed to ask for help must end. A man who recently lost a friend to suicide has also spoken out about the stigma surrounding it, although they wanted to keep their identity hidden. He says, “I recently lost a co worker of mine to suicide which was a huge shock to everyone close to him as no one expected it, he owned a successful business and had supporting, loving family and friends”. He then gave a significant insight saying, “It just goes to show that a person could have everything but you never really know what’s going on in their mind as they are too afraid to ask for help.”
As many suicidal thoughts stem from depression, The Mental Health Foundation strive to get recognition of this worldwide. Many people struggle to identify themselves as depressed as they feel it isn’t a real mental health problem but it is one of the most silent killers. The Mental Health Foundation encourage people to acknowledge mental awareness week from the 14th-20th of May. This year, the foundation are discussing stress and how to tackle it. They also say that “talking to someone is the first step to recovery”.
If you are feeling suicidal please contact the Samaritans on 116123 or email at jo@samaritans.org
Similarly, if you know a friend who is going through a difficult time, let them know you’re there.
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