St Albans man urges men to seek mental health support before "crisis point"
Research reveals many men delay therapy until reaching breaking point
A man from Hertfordshire who's struggled with anxiety and depression throughout most of his life, is urging more men to reach out for help sooner as research shows many are waiting until “crisis point”.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is highlighting the urgent need for men to seek mental health support, as new research suggests around 70% of men wait until ‘breaking point’ to consider therapy.
In a study involving 2,500 British men, two-thirds reported struggling with mental health in the past three years. Despite this, many prefer self-coping mechanisms like exercise or alcohol over professional therapy.
Brent Leyshon, 55, an engineer from St Albans has struggled with anxiety and depression throughout most of his life and says therapy has been “incredibly important” for him.
He said: “You have these horrible voices in your head telling you that you’re rubbish, you're going to get the sack, your wife's going to leave you, all these horrible things – but it starts to get quieter, and quieter, until it stops.
“You can get back to your old self and recover and start living your life again.”
Mr Leyshon also says “generally blokes like to feel that they're tough and they're not weak.
“I think you that perception of it's a weakness has an impact on men not talking about mental health and seeking help. That scar on society's psyche needs to be healed.”
Rahi Popat, a BACP-registered counsellor said: ““Mental health challenges can present themselves in lots of different ways – from unexplained feelings of anxiety or depression, to feeling physically drained or losing interest in things you’d usually enjoy.
“You might also find yourself disconnecting from those closest to you, losing your sense of belonging and not wanting to engage in relationships.
“If you don’t feel your usual self and think you might be struggling, know help is available.”
“If you think you might be struggling with your mental health, seek help before you reach crisis point”, he adds.