Help

If you or someone you know are struggling with any of the issues featured within Silent Men, there are different ways to access help.

If you are in Crisis and need Urgent Support

Depending on where you live, you can access crisis support either through your healthcare system or a specialist charity. For example, in the UK , if you, or someone you know is sitting with thoughts of suicide, self-harm or emotional distress, you can reach out to the following places for immediate support: 

NHS Crisis Team: 

Get help by calling 111 or make an urgent appointment with your GP

Free Listening Services

• Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours
• Text “SHOUT” to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, or text “YM” if you’re under 19
• What’s App, LiveChat or Call 0800 58 58 58 to talk to someone at CALM
  
  

Seeking Therapeutic Intervention / Working with a Therapist 

For many people, exploring your feelings with a therapist can be the next step to understanding your situation and finding coping mechanisms. It can be daunting to know where to begin to find the right therapist or therapeutic intervention for you. Below are some helpful tips on where to start: 

• MIND, a UK wide Mental Health Charity, can help you decide if you are ready for this step, leading you through some questions to get you started. They also have local branches that may offer free or easy to access talking therapy services.  
  
• Speak to your GP – talking therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is provided, free of charge, through the NHS, with a referral from your GP. What’s available, and waiting lists, will depend on where you live. 
  
• Private Therapy – costs vary for this and it can be hard to find the right therapist for you. There are many options for face-to-face and online therapy services, either through individual practitioners or organisations. Below are some of the best places to start looking:
  
  • The Counselling Directory
  • The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
  • The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
  • The Black, African and Asian Therapy Network (BAATN) – for therapists of Black, African, Asian and Caribbean heritage
  • South Asian Therapists.org – for therapists of South Asian heritage
  • Pink Therapy – for therapists from the LGBTQIA+ community

Finding Community 

Professional mental health services may not be the support you need. Everyone processes their feelings in different ways, and sometimes the best thing is to be surrounded by a community of people who understand your experience. Here are some places, online and offline, that you can look to: 

• CALM
• ANDYSMANCLUB
• UK MEN’S SHEDS ASSOCIATION
• SCOTTISH MEN’S SHEDS ASSOCIATION
• HUB OF HOPE
• Look for a local support group for men. MIND may have some suggestions, or your local mental health charity, or you may simply find something right for you in local social media. 
• Think about some of the things you enjoy most, and see if there is a regular meet up around it. This can provide you with a sense of purpose, alongside potentially finding a community of people you have something in common with. 
  

Reaching Out to Someone You Trust 

Connecting with someone close to you can feel scary and vulnerable. It can also provide you with the warmth and sense of safety that you need. Think about who you feel you can trust and ask them if they have time for a chat. If you just want to talk, it can be useful to let them know that you aren’t seeking advice, that you simply need them to listen.  

INTERNATIONAL

Support available country to country may vary, however wherever you are based, you can find the nearest helpline to you using the following websites:

• FINDAHELPLINE
• BEFRIENDERS

This page and list is constantly evolving. Please contact us if you know of any organisation in the countries listed or unlisted not included here that should be added.