It's Good to talk

 Andy’s Man Club’s motto. ‘It’s good to talk.’ When you feel down or worried for any reason, bottling things up can lead to mental illness and black thoughts. Our society expects men to be strong, silent, and in control and this toxic culture is creating numerous mental health problems and suicides in men, particularly young men. So we have the task of changing attitudes. Man by man and club by club we spread the word and practise open, non-judgemental discussion. Every member who attends AMC and benefits from this approach becomes an ambassador for a new way of doing things. At Pontefract AMC we are gaining new members because friends are telling them how good it is. I have no doubt that most AMC’s are the same. Once members begin to feel more confident, then other activities to keep them buoyant can come into play. AMC has closed websites to keep everyone connected, but other activities such as workshops, or organised walks can all help to provide important social connections and spread the word. For those who are lonely, it’s a way of developing new friends and a more worthwhile lifestyle. At Pontefract, we now have four men attending the Airedale Community Workshop and one member has joined the Barnsley man shed. Despite urging men to join my choir, an activity that really helps me, so far only one has done so but that’s a start and maybe he will spread the word as well. All these small things add up to big improvements to morale, friendships, and individual confidence but the starting point is AMC, the central team, and all the clubs around the country.