Man Down brings its men’s mental health meetings to Bude

There is a version of “I’m fine” that gets said through gritted teeth, and most men have used it at some point. Man Down thinks that particular lie is doing real damage, and its answer is a room in Bude where nobody has to say it.

Why Man Down is talking about silence

Man Down’s founder, Ross, posted a video last week making the case that silence itself can be part of the problem. He talked about how many men find it hard to put their feelings and emotions into words, something Man Down says is true.

The organisation makes a further point, though. Most men do want to talk, and do want to express themselves. The trouble is often the setting, or the people they are trying to say it to. Get it wrong and the result is embarrassment rather than relief, which makes the next attempt harder still.

Who the Bude meetings are for

The Bude sessions are aimed squarely at the man who has stopped trying. The one who keeps everything bottled up because there has never been anywhere for it to go, and who has come to feel embarrassed and ashamed of even needing an outlet in the first place.

Man Down describes its meetings as non-judgmental, confidential and informal, three things it says are often missing from the conversations men attempt everywhere else.

What Man Down actually offers

Man Down UK is a non-profit Community Interest Company that started in Cornwall and has grown into a network of peer-led mental health talking groups held across the UK. Sessions are free, need no booking, and run alongside occasional events, challenges and weekend retreats built to bring men together outside the meeting room too. The stated aim is to break the stigma around men talking, and in doing so cut the number of men who take their own lives.

Man Down’s tag for the campaign is short. Let’s talk about it. Exact times and the venue for the Bude group are kept up to date on Man Down’s group meetings page.

📷Credit: Man Down