Grimsby men's mental health charity surprised at numbers wanting help
Andy's Man club provides a listening ear for men experiencing the likes of depression and anxiety.
Last updated 19th Apr 2022
A year after the launch of a men's mental health charity in Grimsby and organisers say the numbers coming forward are far higher than expected.
Andy's Man club provides a listening ear for men experiencing the likes of depression and anxiety.
Around a thousand have attended each club.
However there are fears the true scale of the issue may be underestimated because men often struggle to admit they're having difficulties.
We spoke to Sean Gill who volunteers at Andy's Man Club in Grimsby.
He experienced mental health issues himself previously.
He told us: "I didn't know I was depressed, I didn't know I had bad mental health I just thought something was wrong, I knew I wasn't right".
"Because I didn't know what it was or explain and understand it, it drove me to the point I wanted to take my own life".
"For me I didn't have an outlet, I didn't have a way of talking to someone where I felt comfortable".
"When I was younger I was a mechanic so it's a very male orientated environment, you're meant to be tough, to turn around and say my head's not in a place where I can communicate effectively or do my job properly or even get out of a bed and get a bath."
"I couldn't do that, that wasn't an environment that allowed me to do that because of the stigma."
"When we are broken or we do reach out for help or we have to put on other people, men tend to feel more guilty and that's because of that stigma".
"They think we've broken that stigma but I feel guilty for it".
"Guilt is one of the big drivers I would say of why men are in the position that they are."
If you're a man who's experiencing mental health difficulties or know someone who is you can get in touch with Andy's Man Club via info@andysmanclub.co.uk.
Or their website www.andysmanclub.co.uk.