By Steve Axell, Counsellor and Life Coach
‘Stuff’ happens in life, like difficulties with work or finances, the breakdown of a relationship, overwhelming family responsibilities, the death of a family member or friend, illness, accidents and unexpected setbacks. These challenges can become a rich source of learning and growth and shape us as people, or they can take a serious toll on our mental health and cause us to become stuck, anxious, isolated and even ill. Many of us, men particularly, have been conditioned to tough it out and struggle alone, to ‘Man-Up’, rather than admit weakness or vulnerability and seek help, until it becomes overwhelming and reaches crisis point. Of the 6,233 suicides recorded in the UK in 2013, (which is 3 times the number of people killed in traffic accidents) 78% were male and 22% were female.