To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Recent research by Men’s Health Forum shows that over three out of four suicides in the UK are by men – with suicide being the biggest killer for men under 35.

How I Save: A 47-year-old administrator cutting back after switching to part-time hours

They also found that 12.5% of men in the UK are suffering from at least one common mental health disorder.

Sadly, men are also more likely to use addictive outlets such as alcohol and illegal drugs to cope with the emotions caused by mental illness – as opposed to women, who are more likely to access professional psychological help.

The fact is, so many men are ending their lives instead of seeking help – and this is often because they don’t know how to get support.


They fear that speaking about their negative feelings would emasculate them, whether that be to a friend, a loved one or a professional.



And this needs to stop.

There is nothing ‘unmanly’ about speaking about your feelings. There is nothing weak about admitting to feeling low or having suicidal thoughts.

And this doesn’t just account for men, it affects boys, too. Mental illness doesn’t care whether you’re rich, poor, old or young, it’ll take who it can, and we need to be doing all we can to make sure people know that it’s okay to talk about it.

To get the conversation going, Childline have released a chilling video in which a young boy is struggling with suicidal thoughts and depression.

We see him doing all the normal ‘boy’ things – shaving his facial hair with the same shaver as his pubic area, messily eating, and drinking straight from cartons out of the fridge.

He chats with his friends on his Xbox and he poses in front of the mirror. But then things take a dark turn.

The glances in the mirror turn angrier, to the point he begins to shout at himself, telling himself – or his thoughts – to ‘shut up’.

He lies in the bath under the water, eyes vacant, body still.

He goes to cancel on a friend, writing a message to tell them he feels too ‘crap’ to go out – but he quickly begins to delete the message, covering his tracks, keeping his emotions locked away from the ones who supposedly know him best.

He goes back to the mirror. He slaps himself repeatedly to the point it’s unnerving to watch. He sits in a park on his own, ignoring his ringing phone, isolating himself from the world.

And finally, when it all gets too much, and he can’t slap away the pain, the thoughts, the overwhelming feeling of loneliness, he sits at his laptop and searches ‘suicidal thoughts’.

While we don’t know whether he was searching this to help himself or to find out more about what’s going on inside his head, it didn’t matter – help is what he received, as he clicked on the Childline website where instant help was available.

And with their ad, that’s exactly what Childline want all children suffering with mental health to know – that they can be helped. They don’t have to suffer alone. They don’t have to deal with it alone. And it can, though it may not seem like it at the time, be ultimately dealt with.

Childline’s video is a true step in the right direction, as so many children suffer with so many emotions – some that lead them to seriously dark places.



But because of their age or their situation, they may avoid seeking help – or may even feel that they will not be taken seriously due to being a child.

Children as well as adults desperately need to know that this is simply not the case. There are people that can help. There are people that will listen. There are people that help you see the old you again.

And hopefully, Childline’s powerful advert has highlighted this help to those who desperately need it.

If you are struggling with low moods or suicidal thoughts, please contact Samaritans on 116 123, call Mind’s confidential Infoline, available on 0300 123 3393, or call Childline on 0800 1111.

MORE: Why we need to stop using mental health conditions to describe our moods

MORE: When it comes to mental illness, I’m still terrified of being labelled

Advertisement Advertisement