Real People, Real Stories

Real stories from men who have been through tough times, encouraging other men to seek help. In a recent survey, men told us the reasons why they were struggling to cope.

42% of men said that pandemic restrictions have had a negative impact on their mental health

40% of men said that talking to others helped with concerns and worries they had during the pandemic

We understand the power of human connection and how talking can help when you’re finding life tough. Call us free on 116 123

My life has been pretty fantastic, up until ten years ago when we suffered a suicide in the family. This was by far the most devastating thing.

Steve, 58

Watch Steve tell his story

Don’t isolate yourself. Choose to be with people who make you feel good when you are around them

Matt

Watch Matt's video

Jon, 38

"I couldn’t sleep, didn’t want to eat, didn’t want to socialise and all those things added up to me realising I wasn’t ok."

Read Jon's story

Josh, 33

"When I started senior school, I suffered a lot with anxiety, but I didn’t know that’s what it was. The way I dealt with the anxiety was by being angry. So, people saw anger over anxiety."

Josh shares his story here

Josh, supporting Real People Real Stories with Samaritans

Martin 52

"I was embarrassed to talk to the doctor at the time, but I needed to phone someone and start a journey."

Martin shares his story

"At the time, and it sounds so simple, talking to someone about how I was feeling really helped. PTSD is an ongoing battle, but I rebuilt my physical and mental health and decided to train for a marathon."

Ollie, 25

"I was struggling to cope and thought about suicide as an option when things got really bad. The morning after a particularly bad night, I woke up and knew then that I needed to get help."

More about Ollie's story

Jean-Louis, 48

"The first thing you have to do is admit there is something wrong. Until you admit you have an issue you can’t fix it."

Find out more about Jean-Louis

Steven, 36

"It’s not that one phone call magically fixed everything - the problems were still there - but it was a turning point. And since then, I’ve been able to build the sort of life that would have seemed impossible to me."

Steven's story

Tony, 40

"Having somebody to turn to was never the problem for me, it was more my reluctance to open up to anybody as I genuinely felt nobody else would ever understand how I was feeling."

Tony's shares his story of recovery

I had had enough, I didn’t want to be here anymore. I woke up in hospital, surrounded by my family, who were crying, and that is the worst feeling in the world, the guilt.

Leon McKenzie, 40, former premier league footballer

Read celebrity stories

Signs that you may be struggling to cope

How Samaritans is encouraging men in rural communities to seek support

The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is supporting Samaritans’ coronavirus response, its Real People, Real Stories campaign and work in rural communities.

Real People, Real Stories