What does it really take for men to say, “I’m not ok”?
This week at I Am Here, we’re asking: What does it really take for men to say, “I’m not ok”?
- Why is taking that first step to speak up still so difficult for so many men?
- What role do the people around us play in making it easier — or harder — to ask for help?
- How can we create the kind of environment where a real conversation feels possible?
Men’s Health Week offers us a moment to pay attention to what often goes unsaid. Research tells us that men are less likely to seek help, less likely to talk, and more likely to reach a crisis point before anyone around them realises something is wrong.
That doesn’t have to be the whole story.
At I Am Here, we’ve seen what happens when someone feels safe enough to speak when the people around them are ready to listen. A single honest conversation can carry more weight than months of silence.
What Are We Watching This Week?
This week, we’re watching Overcoming Addiction, Your First Step to Freedom, a short clip from the I Am Here Connect Series Men’s Health session, featuring Joey Molloy of WNOW (When No One’s Watching).
In the clip, Joey reflects on what it takes to reach out when you’re struggling, and how the first step of sharing brings such relief and freedom. He shares a story about his brother that captures this relief better than any statistic could.
The story is one of relapse. A secret carried alone for months. And the weight that lifted the moment his brother finally told someone.
Watch the video (2-minute watch)
What Are We Reading This Week?
This week, we’re sharing access to two conversations that took place on opposite sides of the world, with different speakers, different contexts, and the same message at the heart of both.
The first featured Joey Molloy of WNOW (When No One’s Watching) speaking openly about addiction, recovery, and what it took to finally ask for help.
The second features Jim Breen, founder of I Am Here, in conversation with Dr Paul Phillips, Registered Psychologist and Mental Health Expert, and Kevin Figueiredo GAICD, Chief People and Safety Officer and Suicide Prevention Champion, at Super Retail Group.
Together, Jim, Paul and Kevin explore the real barriers to men’s mental health and wellbeing, the power of connection and community, and what each of us can do, for ourselves and for those around us.
Who Are We Quoting This Week?
“The hardest part is taking that first step. And it’s the most freeing part too.”
– Joey Molloy, WNOW
Joey said these words in the context of addiction and recovery. They also speak to an even wider context. For many men, the fear of being seen, of being judged, or of becoming a burden, can feel greater than whatever they are carrying. It rarely is. Joey knows this first-hand. He has seen it in his own life, and in the lives of those around him.
At I Am Here, we believe it’s ok not to feel ok; and it’s absolutely ok to ask for help. This week, and every week, we hope the conversations in these two sessions remind anyone who needs to hear it that reaching out is a sign of strength, and that people are ready to listen.