Talking is a Lifeline – new mental health campaign for men

Time to Change Wales has today launched a new campaign to encourage men to talk about their mental health without the fear of being judged. Talking is a Lifeline emphasises that talking about mental health is one of the bravest things a man can do.

The campaign aims to empower men to open up about their mental health struggles. Research conducted by Time to Change Wales found that self-stigma and a lack of understanding of mental health stops many men from talkingto family and friends about their mental health problems because of fear and anxiety about negative consequences. Many men have told Time to Change Wales that the pressure to ‘man up’ and ‘be strong’ has led to them suffering in silence.

The campaign includes a series of short videoshighlighting the importance of talking to the people around you when you aren’t feeling 100%.

June Jones, Campaign and Strategy Lead for the campaign said, “Research shows that men in Wales are less likely to admit to knowing somebody with a mental health problem and to have less positive opinions on mental health.

Toxic masculinity is a major problem that makes it difficult for men to open up to a mental health problem: ‘be strong’, ‘man up’, ‘men don’t cry’ are terms often used negatively to judge men who acknowledge poor mental health.”

Peter, 66, from Cardiff, explains how he opened up about his depression: “The illness left me feeling constantly sad, fearful and even in pain.I went to my GP and was formally diagnosed with depression. It wasn’t until I had opened up to my wife, which was the hardest thing I had to do, that I started to feel like I could climb out of this dark hole with the right support and guidance.”

Lee,40, from Pontypool, explains how he has battled with poor mental health since his teenage yearsand talks about getting the right support from his family and mental health practitioners:“I used to drink a lot to mask my mental health problems. After I graduated from university, I felt under a lot of pressure at work and home. My mother-in-law played a huge part in my recovery process. She noticed how I did not want to leave the house, so she teamed up with my wife to help me get out and about a lot more.”

Stuart, 59, from Cardiff, has anxiety and depression, he said: “I tried to focus on my children and was working at the same time but I found coping with it all very difficult. I did eventually go to my GP and was offered counselling sessions. My counsellor was very understanding and reassured me that what I was feeling was normal considering what I had gone through. It was then that I started to realise that it’s OK to not be OK. I think it’s important to normalise the conversation around mental health and encourage men to seek help if they need it.”

June Jones added, “Only 55% of men who reported feeling depressed said they talked to someone about it, and yet 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem at any one time. You don’t have to be an expert to help a person experiencing a mental health problem.

If you’re worried about a male friend or loved one, start a conversation, and ask the question, ‘are you alright?’ and be prepared to listen. It’s really important that men worried about their mental health talk to someone they love and trust, or their GP.”

The Time to Change Wales website is packed with information and advice about mental health. Visit timetochangewales.org.uk to watch the Talking is a Lifeline videos. Show your support for the campaign by downloading resources from the website. You can follow the campaign on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.

Ymgyrch iechyd meddwl newydd i ddynion –Mae Siarad yn Hollbwysig

Mae Amser i Newid Cymru wedi lansio ymgyrch newydd heddiw i annog dynion i drafod eu hiechyd meddwl heb ofni cael eu beirniadu. Mae’r ymgyrch Mae Siarad yn Hollbwysig yn pwysleisio’r ffaith mai trafod iechyd meddwl yw un o’r pethau mwyaf dewr y gall dyn ei wneud.

Nod yr ymgyrch yw grymuso dynion i drafod eu trafferthion ag iechyd meddwl yn agored. Dangosodd ymchwil gan Amser i Newid Cymru fod hunan stigma a diffyg dealltwriaeth o iechyd meddwl yn atal dynion rhag trafod eu problemau iechyd meddwl â’u teuluoedd a’u ffrindiau gan eu bod yn ofni ac yn poeni am y canlyniadau negyddol. Mae llawer o ddynion wedi dweud wrth Amser i Newid Cymru fod y pwysau i beidio â mynegi eu teimladau ac i fod yn gryf yn golygu eu bod wedi ddioddef yn dawel.

Mae’r ymgyrch yn cynnwys cyfres o fideos byr yn dangos pwysigrwydd trafod eich teimladau â’r bobl o’ch cwmpas pan fyddwch yn teimlo’n anhwylus.

Dywedodd June Jones, Arweinydd Ymgyrchoedd a Strategaeth yr ymgyrch,

“Mae ymchwil yn dangos bod dynion yng Nghymru yn llai tebygol o gyfaddef eu bod yn adnabod rhywun sydd â phroblem iechyd meddwl a bod ganddynt farn fwy negyddol am iechyd meddwl.

Mae gwrywdod niweidiol (toxic masculinity) yn broblem fawr sy’n ei gwneud hi’n anodd i ddynion drafod problem iechyd meddwl yn agored: Caiff ymadroddion fel ‘bod yn gryf’, ‘peidio â dangos teimladau’ ac ‘nid yw dynion yn crio’ eu defnyddio mewn ffordd negyddol i feirniadu dynion sy’n cydnabod bod ganddynt iechyd meddwl gwael.”

Mae Peter, 66, o Gaerdydd yn egluro sut y gwnaeth drafod ei iselder yn agored: “Roedd y salwch yn gwneud i mi deimlo’n drist ac yn ofnus o hyd, a hyd yn oed mewn poen. Es i at fy meddyg teulu a chefais ddiagnosis ffurfiol o iselder. Dim ond ar ôl trafod hyn yn agored â fy ngwraig, sef y peth anoddaf i gyd, y dechreuais deimlo fy mod yn gallu dringo allan o’r twll tywyll hwn gyda’r cymorth a’r arweiniad cywir.”

Mae Lee, 40, o Bont-y-pŵl yn egluro ei fod wedi brwydro yn erbyn iechyd meddwl gwael ers ei arddegau ac yn trafod y cymorth cywir a gafodd gan ei deulu a’i ymarferwyr iechyd meddwl: “Roeddwn yn arfer yfed llawer i guddio fy mhroblemau iechyd meddwl. Ar ôl graddio o’r brifysgol, roeddwn yn teimlo o dan lawer o bwysau yn y gwaith a gartref. Chwaraeodd fy mam yng nghyfraith ran enfawr yn fy nhaith i wella fy iechyd meddwl. Gwnaeth sylwi ar y ffaith nad oeddwn eisiau gadael y tŷ, aeth hi a fy ngwraig ati i fy helpu i adael y tŷ yn fwy aml.”

Mae gan Stuart, 59, o Gaerdydd orbyrder ac iselder a dywedodd: “Ceisiais ganolbwyntio ar fy mhlant a gweithio ar yr un pryd ond roeddwn yn ei gweld hi’n anodd iawn delio gyda phopeth. Es i at fy meddyg teulu yn y pen draw a gwnaeth gynnig sesiynau cwnsela i mi. Roedd fy nghwnselydd yn gwrando arnaf ac yn dweud wrtha i fod fy nheimladau yn normal, o gofio’r hyn roeddwn i wedi bod drwyddo. Yna dechreuais sylweddoli ei bod yn IAWN i beidio â bod yn IAWN. Rwy’n credu ei bod yn bwysig gwneud iechyd meddwl yn bwnc cyffredin i’w drafod ac annog dynion i geisio cymorth os bydd ei angen arnyn nhw.”

Ychwanegodd June Jones, “Dim ond 55% o’r dynion a ddywedodd eu bod yn teimlo’n isel wnaeth drafod hynny â rhywun, ond bydd 1 o bob 4 ohonom yn cael problem iechyd meddwl ar ryw adeg. Does dim angen i chi fod yn arbenigwr i helpu person sydd â phroblem iechyd meddwl.

Os ydych yn poeni am ffrind neu anwylyn sy’n ddyn, dechreuwch sgwrs ag ef a gofynnwch, ‘wyt ti’n iawn?’ a byddwch yn barod i wrando. Nid oes angen i chi arbenigo ar iechyd meddwl i fod yn ffrind Mae’n bwysig iawn bod dynion sy’n poeni am eu hiechyd meddwl yn trafod hyn â rhywun mae’n nhw’n ei garu ac yn ymddiried ynddyn nhw, neu eu meddyg teulu.”

Mae gwefan Amser i Newid Cymru yn llawn gwybodaeth a chyngor ar iechyd meddwl. Ewch i www.timetochangewales.org.uk/cy i wylio fideos Mae Siarad yn Hollbwysig. Dangoswch eich bod yn cefnogi’r ymgyrch drwy lawrlwytho adnoddau o’r wefan. Gallwch ddilyn yr ymgyrch ar Twitter, Facebook ac Instagram.