A large Canadian survey about depression showed that the vast majority of people look on men dealing with depression with compassion, care, and a willingness to help.  More and more throughout the world, the support is out there and growing – you just have to tap into it.

Most people are happy to be given a chance to lend a hand in a time of need. When you’re doing better, you can return the favour.

For nearly every guy who has overcome depression, the turning point in their recovery came when they reached out to a friend or family member for support.  And for a lot of these guys, it’s something they wished they had done sooner rather than later.

Guys often contend with – and need to put aside – a few things when thinking about reaching out to someone:

1. You want to “solve” this on your own. Trying to battle a major health condition on your own is like trying to push a boulder up a mountain by yourself – without someone to back you up, the thing is likely to run you over.
2. You don’t want to be a burden. We all like to help out others whenever we can – it makes us feel good.  It’s frustrating when we know someone can use a hand, but they don’t ask for it or use it – that’s the real burden.
3. You don’t want to look weak or crazy. Depression is a serious health condition that millions of men contend with every year.  There’s nothing about it that suggests weakness or craziness. It’s really no different than if you develop diabetes or high blood pressure – it happens and you work towards making it better.