November is Brovember: A Time for Men's Mental Health Awareness
Date: Tuesday 31 Oct 2023
It is an undeniable reality that a mental health crisis is gripping our society, particularly impacting men. The unforgiving statistic that men account for three-quarters of suicide deaths in the UK illuminates the urgency of encouraging open dialogue about male mental health. It's a matter of life and death. The societal expectations and beliefs about masculinity often culminate in stigma surrounding male mental health. It's time to challenge this notion, emphasizing that expressions of empathy, compassion, or love are not signs of weakness.
The Importance of 'Bros'
We all have 'Bros'—friends, colleagues, brothers, fathers, uncles, boyfriends or sons—whose well-being matters deeply to us. Hence the importance of discussing these issues and seeking support from our social circles and professional services alike. In light of this necessity for open conversation comes 'Brovember', our own month-long initiative to spotlight the importance of caring for the Bros in your life.
The Stark Reality
Approximately 1-in-8 men suffer from common mental health problems such as anxiety or depression according to Mental Health Foundation data. Alarmingly in the UK specifically — 3 out 4 suicides are by men with suicide being the leading cause of death among males under 45 years old. This underscores how vital it is to dismantle the stigma attached to men’s mental health so they can seek help when needed.
A Stigma That Must be Overcome
A prevailing stigma inhibits many men from openly discussing their psychological struggles; as recent statistics show that 40% won’t talk about their wellbeing with friends or family members which results in silent suffering despite increasing awareness campaigns on these issues.
Blethr: A Lifeline for Men
To combat this, we have spent the last three years developing and funding Blethr, a platform that provides men with a free private, and secure environment to discuss their worries, stress, or anxieties without fear of judgement. It utilizes unique technology (no ChatGPT or LLMs) to create a conversational space that helps users understand their deeper feelings and explore wider options. It's future-focused, assisting you in becoming the person you aspire to be.
How Blethr Works
Blethr prompts users to express their current emotional state through initial thoughts or mental images, fostering a clear understanding of their mindset. To access deeper feelings, users are guided to reflect before responding, enabling a thorough exploration of emotions. It also encourages journaling for self-expression and self-discovery. Blethr's approach aims to provide immediate relief and tools for long-term mental health management by promoting quick responses, thoughtful contemplation, and consistent journaling activities.
Supporting The Cause
We are now fundraising for the next phase of development for Blethr, as an initiative that aims to provide a secure and private environment for men to voice their mental wellbeing concerns. This next stage of development has several key facets, each contributing towards our ultimate goal of improving male mental health through open conversations, self-awareness, proactive intervention strategies, and most importantly of all reducing male suicide.
One significant aspect of the planned enhancements is the creation of individual user spaces. They will be personalised areas where users can login to their own therapeutic conversational space in a safe and non-judgmental atmosphere. By providing a dedicated space for these discussions, we aim to break down barriers that may otherwise prevent men from speaking openly about their mental health struggles.
Linked with these individual user spaces will be the Blethr journal, so that any of the personal journal entries can be included within their own therapeutic conversation These journals serve as tools for reflection and self-discovery, allowing users to record their thoughts and feelings over time. The act of journaling can often lead to greater understanding and acceptance of one's emotions - a crucial step towards managing one's mental wellbeing effectively.
The upcoming development phase also includes the construction of a dedicated data layer on our platform. This feature allows users the option to donate anonymous metadata if they choose to do so - participation is entirely voluntary. Through this data layer, we expect to gain valuable insights into how we can further enhance our services and interventions.
We believe that these insights could revolutionise how we approach male mental health by highlighting areas where conversation needs improvement or where particular issues are more prevalent than others. Additionally, this information could potentially identify trends or patterns related to male suicide rates - enabling us not only reactively address but proactively prevent such tragic outcomes through ongoing interventions.
All these developments are part-and-parcel with Blethr’s mission: fostering an environment where men feel comfortable discussing their mental health freely without fear or judgement – ultimately reducing instances of suicide by providing early intervention and continued support.
Our fundraising efforts are essential for the successful implementation of these enhancements. By supporting Blethr, you are not just contributing to a cause but potentially making a real difference in the lives of men struggling with mental health issues.
Remember: You Are Not Alone
It's important to remember that no matter how overwhelming your emotions may feel, or how challenging the coping mechanisms may seem, you're not alone in this, many men are going through similar struggles, and by recognizing this shared experience, you can begin to foster a sense of understanding, allowing yourself to be empowered through these struggles.
How You Can Help Us
You can support men’s health in various ways — from fundraising activities like raffles or fitness challenges in your community/workplace; to educating yourself about men's health issues using resources from the Brothers in Arms website which promotes conversations/events wherever possible.
To learn more about supporting males in your life visit the BIA website at brothersinarmsscotland.co.uk.
To learn about Blethr, visit brothersinarmsscotland.co.uk/blethr.
To donate to Brothers in Arms, go to brothersinarmsscotland.co.uk/donate/why-donate.