24 Oct 2019 | 4 mins

In the four minutes it takes you to read this article, four men around the world will take their own life.

 

Suicide is an extremely prominent part of today’s society and yet talking about your own mental health is still something which most people find difficult to do.

It’s true that sometimes just talking to someone about how you feel can make a world of difference. In some cases, an entire life of difference. How many times have you been on the verge of telling a mate that something’s up, then decided against it at the last second?

If that happens to you, then how often do you think it happens to your mates? To everyone?

The thing is, telling someone that something is wrong is terrifying. Half of us spend our time trying to project an image of the perfect life onto social media. What would everyone think if they suddenly saw you in tears, saying that something’s wrong but you can’t even explain what it is?

Everyone else seems to live such a perfect life, so why would you want to single yourself out as the one with issues?

It’s easy to feel that way.

But the truth is, everyone fights with mental health. It’s a constant battle and sometimes it’s one that can’t be won on your own. Sometimes, you need to talk to somebody. Whether it’s asking for advice, or just using them as a sounding board so you can hear your thoughts out loud, having someone there for you can make all the difference.

With the Rugby World Cup now in full swing, many of the sport’s stars have decided to use this widely publicised event as a platform to raise awareness about this issue and bring about change.

Top-level rugby players are often presented as the toughest of the tough. You have to be physically and mentally strong to survive 80 grueling minutes of footy and it’s not hard to imagine that they are able to easily overcome any negative thoughts in their heads.

But this is not the case. Footy players are no different to you and me. They have their own doubts, their own anxieties, their own negativities. Their own periods of depression.

Many players have started opening up publicly about their own mental health battles and sharing their stories in the hope that it’ll inspire their fans to do the same. On September 10 (World Suicide Prevention Day), James Horwill and a bunch of other stars of the sport spoke out about this flaw in society in which men struggle to talk about their feelings.

The players are asking that everyone who watches a match during the World Cup spends the half time break not on their phones but speaking to their mates around them. Keeping an eye out for each other.

A small conversation can make all the difference. Sitting in silence next to a struggling mate achieves nothing unless the reason you’re quiet is that you’re listening to him speak.

Over the entire World Cup, there will be 40 games played, each 80 minutes long. That means over the 3,200 minutes of rugby played in the World Cup, 3,200 men will take their lives.

New Zealand Rugby flipped the idea of having a moment’s silence to remember someone on its head, by instead encouraging a Moment Against Silence, a moment of making noise, of speaking to a friend to potentially save their life. A moment of sound to skip the need for a moment’s silence down the track. 

Hopefully, if you’ve been watching the Rugby World Cup this year you’ve already heard about this campaign. Hopefully, you’ve asked your mates how they’re going. Hopefully, your mates have asked you how you’re going.

Or, if you don’t watch the footy, I hope you are still able to take something from this. To give something to someone else. To encourage your mates to talk, to make them feel comfortable to do so, and to listen to their every word if they ever do.

If you are suffering from depression, and feel you have nobody to turn to, you can contact:

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

Beyondblue: 1300 224 636