Mind Our Men !

HondaSami

''More than 500 people have used a suicide prevention group’s website to pledge their support for a new initiative being launched today. The Mind our Men campaign by Pieta House asks people to pledge their support in minding the men in their lives''

This is a nationwide campaign to reduce male suicide in Ireland. Please pledge your support.



http://www.google.ie/aclk?sa=L&ai=CaE6bj6tYUZ2wBo_57AbRuIDgBvSa6LADlOW_8kfc0tXdtAEIABABUJCGgLf8_____wFg9drqg_wOyAEBqgQcT9B7eYsstebhiVN4XJt6H9O8TYeHEizEQzRLcroFEwixpen986e2AhUGIeEKHWhHALDKBQCAB6CB3gk&ei=jqtYUbGmC4bChAfojoGACw&sig=AOD64_1vGJaJxcXOjbSGGqUOJw9YfJH0vA&sqi=2&ved=0CCsQ0Qw&adurl=http://www.mindourmen.ie

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=pieta%20house%20mind%20our%20men&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pieta.ie%2F&ei=I6tYUZOFB4-zhAf0roDAAw&usg=AFQjCNGd28YxtM-0OCtaZhr9G0GuAiyiKA


http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=pieta%20house%20mind%20our%20men&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQqQIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fsocial-affairs%2Fmind-our-men-new-campaign-aims-to-reduce-number-of-male-suicides-1.1338197&ei=I6tYUZOFB4-zhAf0roDAAw&usg=AFQjCNHhIRZ1KEub2Cwq8pQnq9Gmb92EGQ

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

We men can be our own worst enemy in cases like this.

HondaSami

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

We men can be our own worst enemy in cases like this.

It is getting better, suicide is talked about now and that is a good thing, admitting there is a problem is the hardest thing.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

HondaSami wrote: »

It is getting better, suicide is talked about now and that is a good thing, admitting there is a problem is the hardest thing.

I often wonder, question for the guys, if a friend came to you and confided in you that he was depressed and/or suicidal, would you know hwat to say?

Yitzhak Rabin

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I often wonder, question for the guys, if a friend came to you and confided in you that he was depressed and/or suicidal, would you know hwat to say?

Honestly there's not much you can say. Listening is much more important.

The key is to create a culture where its not a taboo to tell your friends and family that you are not feeling well. It is getting better though.

Peregrine

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I often wonder, question for the guys, if a friend came to you and confided in you that he was depressed and/or suicidal, would you know hwat to say?

Yes I think I would, but I'd have to listen more so than talk.

The suicide rate among young men in this country is actually unbelievable and while people are becoming more aware and understanding, I can't help but to ask how many lives were lost in the amount of time it took..

HondaSami

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

Yes I think I would, but I'd have to listen more so than talk. Admitting I was in that position too should make it easier.

The suicide rate among young men in this country is actually unbelievable and while people are becoming more aware and understanding, I can't help but to ask how many lives were lost in the amount of time it took..

It is unbelievable but it's better to look forward than to look back, progress is being made and it's best to concentrate on making it easier for people who are suffering.

Temptamperu

Pieta House have helped me greatly and i will always give them my money.

yop

Temptamperu wrote: »

Pieta House have helped me greatly and i will always give them my money.

Great to hear. I am very involved with suicide prevention due to the loss of my best mate and cousins. There is still a terrible lack of men bottling up and not talking.

It is a great question though, I know that we all think we are too busy and when someone does come to us we listen, but I bet 1/2 of us are still thinking about something else.

ANYTHING like this has to help, we need to drop the macho image.

One thing though which I couldn't actually answer, how do we know we need help? Most people woudln't know if they are depressed.

HondaSami

I will post this for anyone that might be interested in doing the course.



http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=console%20courses%20suicide&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CEQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.console.ie%2F&ei=UrdYUdSDLsqYhQeY2YFw&usg=AFQjCNEGlhTIjnuc2lOH9oRNcc5JQFGrBg

Suicide Prevention Training Programme
~ Question, Persuade, Refer ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Galway
Tues 16th April, 2013
National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cork
Tues 23rd April, 2013
University College Cork (UCC)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dublin
Tues 21st May, 2013
University College Dublin (UCD)

Fee €75

Larianne

HondaSami wrote: »

It is getting better, suicide is talked about now and that is a good thing, admitting there is a problem is the hardest thing.

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I often wonder, question for the guys, if a friend came to you and confided in you that he was depressed and/or suicidal, would you know hwat to say?

Listen.

But then where do you go from there? I think this is the problem. The fear of not knowing. People fear they will be sent to a loony bin or others will find out that they have depression. The stigma of mental health is still there unfortunately.

Temptamperu wrote: »

Pieta House have helped me greatly and i will always give them my money.

Maybe, if you feel comfortable, give a brief outline of how you got help from Pieta and how? Just for posters who may want help but don't know what to do about it.

HondaSami wrote: »

I will post this for anyone that might be interested in doing the course.
http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=console%20courses%20suicide&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CEQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.console.ie%2F&ei=UrdYUdSDLsqYhQeY2YFw&usg=AFQjCNEGlhTIjnuc2lOH9oRNcc5JQFGrBg

Suicide Prevention Training Programme
~ Question, Persuade, Refer ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I did a similar training course last year, SafeTalk in college. Due to a high number of suicides within the college population last year the SU put these training sessions for class reps. Came in handy for the above.

WayneMolloy

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I often wonder, question for the guys, if a friend came to you and confided in you that he was depressed and/or suicidal, would you know hwat to say?

Pint?

yop

WayneMolloy wrote: »

Pint?

Alcohol is one of the main factors in suicide, gives the person dutch courage. On the flip side of that, my mates have told me things over pints that they would never have said without.

Ruudi_Mentari

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I often wonder, question for the guys, if a friend came to you and confided in you that he was depressed and/or suicidal, would you know hwat to say?

I would, and I could certainly help them more than most that are being paid as 'professionals' if only to push some drug aka sweep it under the carpet. Some folk are naturally deep, introverted.. melancholy tbh but if depressed is what they come forward with then you're right it may well be taken for suicidal, here.

Larianne wrote: »

People fear they will be sent to a loony bin or others will find out that they have depression. The stigma of mental health is still there unfortunately.

yeah it is; I had a weekend in one of those and my ma was so livid when she heard I was to be discharged almost as soon as I was admitted (when a top shrink intervened and apologized for my being restrained and drugged) she nearly got admitted herself!! So the stigma of even just being a bit of an introvert irl can have us labelled that, here but it was ultimately a liberating experience? and now I can be crazy til my hearts content without being you know, crazy.

Truncheon Rouge

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

We men can be our own worst enemy in cases like this.

We're not as aware of our emotions and what causes them and why.
Cause we can't see them...so theyre not there....

You got to ask the little emotions why theyre there. catch them early and they act as an early warning system.

Odysseus

Larianne wrote: »

Listen.

But then where do you go from there? I think this is the problem. The fear of not knowing. People fear they will be sent to a loony bin or others will find out that they have depression. The stigma of mental health is still there unfortunately.

The main thing is to get people talking, once we get someone talking we can start to normalise the situation somewhat. A significant amount of people will experience some level of suicidal ideation at some point in their lives.

There are no guarantees here, but once people are talking about it, it reduces the risk of them acting out on it. It is the ones who don't talk that I get worried about. Just stay calm and listen, just allowing the person to get out whatever has been building can made a big difference.

Just being there for the person then getting them to contact a professional can be a significant intervention.

People can feel overwhelmed in such situations, but really all you need to do is the same thing you would do for a good friend who had a different type of problem. Listen to them and put them in contact with the people who can help them overcome the issue.

The standard response if you are concerned that someone is an immediate risk is to get them to attend A&E, but they are faced then with sitting there for up to 12 hours in order to be seen.


However, I do think the culture is slowly changing especially when I compare it to 20 years ago, that stigma and fear of being classed as mentally ill is changing.

WayneMolloy

yop wrote: »

Alcohol is one of the main factors in suicide, gives the person dutch courage. On the flip side of that, my mates have told me things over pints that they would never have said without.

True.

Id suggest a couple of pints purely due to the fact that I am useless when put in situations like described in the opening piece. A pint or two, game of pool and a chat - then take it from there.

Of course, our binge drinking culture would also be another factor in as to why a lot of males suffer with depression.

Ruudi_Mentari

Is like I always say, we will never survive unless we get a little crazy. And I don't mean bad, or nasty I mean challenging conformist norms of the mind which were always monotonously high here anyhow

VanishingActs

I'm glad to see such a great effort being put in. Two guys I went to school with have taken their own lives since we left school, both deaths left so many people devastated. I hope this campaign saves many lives.

Lone Stone

I think part of the problem is the stigma of mental health clinic's & hospitals as "looney bins" we all say it and mock it even in some regards, but i think maybe people should be educated on the services they provide some times when you find it hard to cope with life you need to get away from where ever it is you are when your in that mind set, and these place's can help you refocus and find the space to clear your mind.

I think it would be a good subject to approach in a personal development class that they have in secondary schools (well they did when i went to school /imold) to inform people about them earlier in life.

pablomakaveli

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I often wonder, question for the guys, if a friend came to you and confided in you that he was depressed and/or suicidal, would you know hwat to say?

Id listen if they wanted to talk but id strongly recommend for them to go see a GP and tell them how their feeling as well since a doctor would be of more use to them and point them in the right direction to get help.

keelanj69

HondaSami wrote: »

I will post this for anyone that might be interested in doing the course.



http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=console%20courses%20suicide&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CEQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.console.ie%2F&ei=UrdYUdSDLsqYhQeY2YFw&usg=AFQjCNEGlhTIjnuc2lOH9oRNcc5JQFGrBg

Suicide Prevention Training Programme
~ Question, Persuade, Refer ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Galway
Tues 16th April, 2013
National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cork
Tues 23rd April, 2013
University College Cork (UCC)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dublin
Tues 21st May, 2013
University College Dublin (UCD)

Fee €75

Seems worthwile. I might book a place.

Ruudi_Mentari

Lone Stone wrote: »

I think part of the problem is the stigma of mental health clinic's & hospitals as "looney bins"

but when the majority of inmates seemingly content to be there are clearly that, its not hard to make that "mistake"? I am uncomfortable with grown men roaming the wards constantly asking have I any chocolate, for instance.

WayneMolloy

mikemac1 wrote: »

Do you have a decent graduate level position?

I recently learned my next of kin (which is the Mammy I suppose!) get 4 times my not so high annual salary but still it's a tidy sum.
Of course you won't get that if you are declared a suicide case.

So what to do?
Crash a car/motorbike I suppose

Point of my useless post.
Employees in a desperate situation may look at the €€€ that their employer put on their head and decide since they are "worthless" their family would be better off with a six figure sum then themself

Six figures, well over 100,000K, a sum most people will never see in a cash transfer in their life

Never thought of that, MikeMac1.

For a lot of lads, we take it as a given that we provide for our nearest and dearest. In the current economic climate, that may not always be possible.

Some desperate people may be feeling down and worthless, for not being able to give their families the lifestyle they wish or because they are straddled with debt - they may see that as a way out.

Jaysus, this thread isnt pretty bedtime reading.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Yitzhak Rabin wrote: »

Honestly there's not much you can say. Listening is much more important.

The key is to create a culture where its not a taboo to tell your friends and family that you are not feeling well. It is getting better though.

Yeah, I know, but it's stil something I wonder if men are really able to do.

NegativeCreep

Ruudi_Mentari wrote: »

but when the majority of inmates seemingly content to be there are clearly that, its not hard to make that "mistake"? I am uncomfortable with grown men roaming the wards constantly asking have I any chocolate, for instance.

What are you even talking about??

Tearwave

NegativeCreep wrote: »

What are you even talking about??

He's saying there are some genuinely absolutely out of their mind, on another planet altogether, mental patients in psychiatric institutions... I think

Tearwave

Anyway my own opinion is we need laws to protect those with a medical history of mental illness (maybe they exist, pardon my ignorance) from not being eligible for applying for certain jobs like working with the public or children or air traffic control etc. Fear of screwing up your career I'd imagine would turn a lot of people off seeking help, especially since the recession began

token101

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I often wonder, question for the guys, if a friend came to you and confided in you that he was depressed and/or suicidal, would you know hwat to say?

Of course not, I'm not a trained counselor.

Aoifums

Tearwave wrote: »

Anyway my own opinion is we need laws to protect those with a medical history of mental illness (maybe they exist, pardon my ignorance) from not being eligible for applying for certain jobs like working with the public or children or air traffic control etc. Fear of screwing up your career I'd imagine would turn a lot of people off seeking help, especially since the recession began

What? Are you saying you don't want people with a history of mental health issues working with kids? Because they currently can. You can choose to disclose (or not) your past when applying for a job. People can and do recover from these things. Someone could have been depressed to the point of being suicidal five years ago and be alright now.
And people applying for high stress jobs like air traffic control are carefully vetted. They can't afford to take a chance. It's all down to how a person deals with stress. Even if their mental health is alright, they mightn't make it in the job.

Duzzer

Tell you the truth "mind our men" sounds a bit patronising or something. Unpopular,thing to say but i know there are others out there that might agree