A Burnham-On-Sea couple have begun a mountaineering challenge to raise awareness for men’s mental health.
Richard Crook and his wife Clare have recently climbed Ben Nevis and Mount Snowden, the highest mountains in Scotland and Wales, and plan to tackle the highest mountain in England in the next few weeks.
Richard told Burnham-on-Sea.com: “This is a very important subject for me after personally dealing with this scenario myself and I feel it’s very important for men to have the courage to reach out to our fantastic NHS health service or one of our local charities for support and advice for our mental wellbeing.”
“Men have always had a stigma about reaching out for support although society has changed and the way forward for anyone suffering out there is to reach out to someone such as a friend or family member or your local GP who can guide you on the right path to recovery and wellbeing.”
“Personally, I find the best way to channel my thoughts and mind is to participate in activities such as travelling to new parts of the world or running marathons or simply playing sport and cycling or having a round of golf with friends etc.”
“There’s a vast range of things out there to participate in and once you complete them then you get a great sense of satisfaction and achievement which is great for your wellbeing
then I set my sights on the next adventure or trip away to a new part of the world or place that sounds interesting and exciting.”
He added that research shows just over three out of four suicides (76%) are by men and suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 35 according to then ONS. 12.5% of men in the UK are suffering from one of the common mental health disorders. Men are nearly three times more likely than women to become alcohol dependent, according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
