Mental Health Awareness Week, Andy's Man Club

This is my first proper #psychologysaturday blog post. I'm hoping that a weekly post relating to the science of the mind will raise awareness of important related issues and will offer resources and suggestions, based on whatever I find and consider valuable. I have many ideas in the pipeline!

8-14 May is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. 1 in 3 people will deal with mental health issues in their lifetime. Mental health still comes with a stigma- one that many people, including myself and the people behind this campaign, are working hard to remove. The site above is packed with info on how to gauge your own mental health, what the campaign aims to do, what events are happening in your area and what you can do to take part.

Men's mental health in particular is an area I'm keen to promote on this blog, which is one of a few reasons why I'm pleased to tell you about Andy's Man Club. Andy's is 'a talking group, a place for men to come together in a safe environment to talk about issues/problems they be have faced or currently been facing.' The organisation, I gather, started in Yorkshire and now has 7 groups meeting across the Northwest at 7pm every Monday. I dropped into the Oldham group this Monday. Out of respect for the group I won't go into detail about what happens, but it is an opportunity for men to talk openly and support each other. You don't need to have dealt with mental health issues in the past, but regardless you will find a supportive network of people. There's no religious angle, no judgement, no holding hands and chanting, no obligation to talk- and it's well worth a look if you're looking for help with depression or are looking to build confidence.

More #psychologysaturday blog posts to come, including book reviews, information on confidence building, advice for handling memory difficulties, and how to use mobile phones to stay organised.