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It starts with just a few words: ‘I’m not in a good place mentally’ or ‘I’m struggling.’

Matthew

Matthew

I just celebrated 12 years sobriety. In the recovery community, a lot of times mental health isn’t discussed at the forefront. I try to be an advocate not only for recovery from substance use and alcoholism but also for the mental health challenges that go along with that. For me, it was a combination of suicide attempts, self-harm, and isolation. I thought when I first got sober, my mental health stuff would just go away. It got worse in some ways because I was not coping with alcohol anymore.

I really want to reduce the stigma around mental health in men and get them to really share what’s going on in their heads and normalize the experiences that I have had. It starts with just a few words: ‘I’m not in a good place mentally’ or ‘I’m struggling.’ That’s the word that I use. Struggling. Forced psychiatric intervention did not help me. Connection to others with lived experience was the most helpful thing for me. I receive so much support from my male friends. We get a meal together, we spend time together, me and eight of my closest friends. We laugh and just be there for one another. It has helped me immensely.

Resources That Helped

Therapy|Prayer|Friends

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