My interest in Mental Health, which has led to me participating in Movember, stemmed from lived experiences. I like many other men in this country have had mental health struggles in the past. Also like many other men, I had no person to turn to when these issues came to a head. Something I was taught, sometimes indirectly, throughout my childhood is that men should be "tough" and not show any weakness; which is pretty cliché. In my late teens I experienced first real encounter with depression, and at the time I had no idea how to deal with it. I had not been taught how to be open with those close to me, and chose to keep it to myself.
Eventually, 4 years later, and after overcoming this initial battle, I shared this with my parents. They, of course, were shocked at first, as they had no idea what I had been dealing with. But they were also concerned and showed empathy toward me. At that time I felt bad for not telling them sooner, yet I also felt I didn't know how to tell them. Unfortunately for a lot of guys in this country, the same could be said. They do not know how to process their emotions and have no one they can confide in; and unfortunately for far too many they never do get this chance.
A massive challenge faced in this country is breaking the stigma of mental health, and getting men to open up. There is a culture of keeping problems to yourself and dealing with them alone, even at the cost of your own mental and/or physical health. With the right understanding of mental health, as well as the right attitude toward solving the problem, we can reduce this number as well as bringing a better quality of life to all of those around us.