Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
We need young men to open up on mental health
Pals launch a support group for under-35s
TWO school friends who helped each other through tough times have launched a mental support group for young men.
Aaron Mcintyre, 26, got together with his 24-year-old Lisburn schoolmate to form Behind The Masc.
The under-35s group meets every Sunday at 7pm at Queen’s University students union Belfast.
Aaron told the Daily Mirror their “ultimate aim is to get young men to acknowledge it’s OK to talk about mental health issues” and he said the group’s numbers are growing fast.
Aaron admitted he has struggled with anxiety issues but didn’t realise how much it affected him until a chat with his pal.
He said: “For me it was all about putting on a front. I could go to work but underneath I was literally crumbling.
“My friend approached me about his own mental health issues and got me to open up about mine. It helped to speak to someone who was non-judgmental.
“With NHS waiting lists at six months for your first counselling session we wanted to do something. Anything can happen in six months.
“We’re set up so people can just come and have a chat. They can talk about stuff that’s bothering them or just in general.
“Issues coming up that we hadn’t even considered include hypochondria and eating disorders. It’s a lot more complex than we thought.
“The aim is to provide young guys with a space where they can meet with others given suicide is the biggest killer of young men in Northern Ireland.”
Visit Behind The Masc Belfast on Facebook for more information.