Addressing regional mental health

BALLARAT Community Health will be hosting event Healthy Men, Healthy Communities: On the Low Down next week.

The three-part interactive forum aims to educate and assist regional communities on prevalent mental health issues, especially those affecting men.

“Our emotions have a purpose, they have survival value, we need to be able to observe and interpret and respond to our emotions, regardless whether they’re comfortable or uncomfortable,” said Program Director, David Pearce.

The event will be split into three sections; the first will discuss various mental health barriers, then local mental health service experts and providers will be introduced, ending with mental health optimisation activities.

Sleep, exercise, nutrition, how we talk to ourselves, and how to be there for friends are a few of the topics that will be covered by the expert panel.

There will also be support personnel including counsellors and social workers for any attendees needing help during the event.

Mr Pearce said suicide increases by almost double as you leave metropolitan areas, and that geographical and emotional isolation are big issues facing men living in the regions.

“These ideas of ‘I can do it myself’ or ‘boys don’t cry’ really present huge barriers particularly for men to overcome in terms of actually acknowledging and dealing with their mental health in a constructive manner,” Mr Pearce said.

“Reaching out to other people doesn’t make you any less of a person, if anything it makes you more of a person.”

On the Low Down receives funding from the Bank of Melbourne Foundation.

The event will be on Monday, 28 October, from 5.30 to 8.30pm at the Ballarat Community Health Centre, 12 Lilburne Street, Lucas. For more information go to bit.ly/33aSTcU.