"It's powerful to talk": Clacton man on a mission to get men to talk about mental health
He's encouraging everyone to be open and honest
Last updated 11th May 2022
An Essex man is using Mental Health Awareness week to encourage men talk about their mental health.
Ricky Caines, from Clacton, suffered from poor mental health and addiction for years after losing his mother, before seeking help and support.
He hopes, by sharing his story, it'll break the stigma around mental health and inspire men to share their feelings: "It's not cool to walk into a pub on a Friday night and say, 'Oh, I've been really struggling this week and I felt really depressed on Wednesday'.
"It's not seen as cool, but I think it's powerful. How much more powerful can you get than knowing your own thoughts and feelings instead of running away from them and hiding?"
He's encouraging others to talk about their feelings to help normalise the topic, and says people may be surprised to find others are going through similar issues: "When I started opening up and talking about my feelings, people started coming back to me and saying they related to it, but without me saying it first, they wouldn't have admitted it.
"Being open and honest can help and inspire others."
Ricky urges people to ask for help if they're suffering, even if it might feel hard to do: "Don't sit there in mental torture, just ask for help.
"Do something about it, it doesn't have to stay the way it is and things can, and will, get better."
Alongside encouraging others to be open about their mental health, Ricky is also passionate about funding and mental health education.
Whilst he says there are lots of organisations who want to help and provide support, they're hampered by tight budgets: "Help is out there if you look for it, but it is underfunded.
"You've got the people there, who want to help, but no money."
Ricky has done his bit to help out, partaking in fundraising challenges for Mind, the mental health charity, including the Three Peaks Challenge last year with his friend, James.
He's also undertaking a 24-hour treadmill walk this weekend, which he hopes will encourage others to be honest about their feelings: "If I can share my story and help or inspire one person, then that's what I'm doing it for.
"If anybody wants to donate along the way, then that's an added bonus."