Collage of concept photos

An important but often overlooked part of #MensHealthWeek is men’s mental health.

Men account for 3 times the number of suicides as women, with depression being a leading cause. Getting help with depression is no different than getting help with any other serious illness or injury, like diabetes or a broken leg – if something needs fixing, get it fixed.

This year, our #MensHealthWeek campaign “Together We Can” lets guys know they are not alone. Friends, family members, medical professionals, and other guys who have been there are here to support men in their fight against depression. The City of Vancouver has also recognized Tuesday, June 12, as Men’s Mental Health Awareness Day.

Matching Donations in June

HeadsUpGuys, a free resource, also supports men on their road to recovery.  As a non-profit organization, we rely on public donations to do our job in serving men and the important people in their lives. Until June 30, 2018, local Vancouver business owners and philanthropists, the Newell Family, have stepped up to match all donations up to $100,000. Donating to HeadsUpGuys during June 2018 now packs twice the punch!

Donate Now

A special thanks to the photographers who contributed to the campaign.

Learn about: Depression in Men | Self Check | How to Reach Out | How to Provide Support

Artist Submissions

Adam Williams

“A flood of golden light, the sight of a rainbow, hoping with all my heart that the storm is finally breaking.”

This image is part of a larger five image series inspired by living with anxiety and depression, and explained by Adam in this video.

– Adam Williams, professional photographer, Sydney, Australia.facebookHeadsUpGuys Instagram

Rob Woodcox

“It is my hope that this year I will pour into others as they pour into me. Cheers to the past and everything we’ve overcome, here’s to spreading kindness, art and love!”

– Rob Woodcox, surreal portrait and fine art photographer, Oregon, United States.facebookHeadsUpGuys Instagram twitter Flickr

Maren Elize Klemp

“When depression comes creeping I struggle to keep hope alive. I created this image to remind myself and everyone that despite the darkness there is always hope. You are never alone.”

Maren Elize Klemp, fine art photographer, Oslo, Norway. facebookinsta

Tommy Ingberg

“Through Internet forums I realized there are a lot of guys out there dealing with the exact same things as me. Seeing their stories, recognizing my own struggles in them, and reading about how they got better helped me build the courage to seek out professional help and start my own journey to get better.”

– Tommy Ingberg, visual artist, Nyköping/Stockholm, Sweden.facebookinsta twitter

Joel Robison

“Together we can break stigma and barriers, fighting off all the negative forces that try to grip us.

I created this image with Adam Hague, another photographer and supporter of HeadsUpGuys. Adam and I first met online about 6 or 7 years ago and became friends through our photography. It was luck that we were both in the UK at the same time in April and we were able to meet up and create some new work together, we spent a lot of time talking about how we manage our anxieties and our mental health and how important art is in balancing both of those for us.”

– Joel Robison, conceptual photographer based out of British Columbia, Canada. facebookinsta twitter Flickr

Jason Chen

“We want to do it all, but sometime life pushes you toward multiple directions all at once, it’s frustrating to have to feel like every move we make follows by an undesirable sacrifice. We ended up getting stuck on the same place, the wrong place. However, we are not alone. Together we can help each other with the experience, the knowledge we gain from every steps we take. Eventually when we look back we will see a path.”

– Jason Chen, photographer, Philadelphia, United States. insta

Nathan Milner

“There’s never one right way to reach out but there’s always options. The important thing is to take that first step.”

– Nathan Milner, fine art portrait photographer, Melbourne, Australia.facebookHeadsUpGuys InstagramtwitterFlickr

Mikael Aldo

“I create this image during one of the hardest times of my life. Photography became the reason I got out of my house, to create something and clear my mind. Watching the fog slowly lift up that day was one of the happiest moments of my life.”

– Mikael Aldo, photographer, Jakarta, Indonesia. facebookinsta

Mike Alegado

“I know it’s hard sometimes that we lose our way in the darkness. This image is created to remind me and others that there are people who are willing to be there for you to help out in times of need. They are the ones that would be the support that would bring the light above you especially when it gets dark.”

– Mike Alegado, conceptual and fine art portrait photographer, Manila, Philippines.facebooktwitterHeadsUpGuys Instagram Flickr

Jonathan Chapé

“Sometimes reaching out can be the hardest thing we can do in our darkest times. We may not think anyone has the exact answer that we’re looking for, but once you make that first step, all of a sudden it seems possible that there is an answer after all. The moment I made that decision to reach out and allow someone else to see the parts of me that I kept hidden, the easier it became for me to find that place of happiness I was always looking for.”

Jonathan Chapé, New York, United States. insta

Adam Hague

“He(art) is where the Strength is
This photo is an expression of how we should support each other and find strength in talking to someone about what goes on in your head.” The beams blasting out of our eyes symbolizes us using what we’ve seen (experiences) to fight the giant hands (eg. dark forces, happiness thieves, anything that makes us feel small).

– Adam Hague, conceptual self portrait artist and photographer, Brunei and UK.facebookHeadsUpGuys InstagramtwitterFlickr

Matching Donation in June

Until June 30, 2018, local Vancouver business owners and philanthropists, the Newell Family, have stepped up to match all donations up to $100,000. All donations made to HeadsUpGuys this month now pack twice the punch!