11 Inspiring Videos on Men’s Mental Health, Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide
More and more men are speaking up about mental health. Here are some of the best videos online related to anxiety, depression, and suicide.
“The only way we’re going to beat a problem that people are battling alone is by standing strong together”- Kevin Breel
When facing depression, guys can often feel alone in their pain. However, it is estimated that 1 in 5 men will experience a depressive episode by the age of 65.(1) Among these men are countless celebrities, athletes, mental health advocates, and researchers, who share their personal stories and knowledge to let guys know they are not alone.
There are a lot of amazing videos online, so we scoured YouTube and the internet to try and find the best ones.
Here are our top videos related to men’s mental health, depression, and suicide.
You’ll notice the videos come from men all over the world as guys everywhere are often held back from recovery by the same outdated beliefs around depression and reaching out. The videos here are not presented in any specific order, and rather work together to collectively share different messages of hope and recovery.
1. Matt’s Journey
“I kept holding it in and spiralled downhill.”
Matt, a farmer from New Zealand, discusses his journey through depression in an interview with Sir John Kirwan (former rugby player and coach). Matt touches on work stress weighing on his well-being, and his unwillingness to share his struggles with those around him.
Matt reached a turning point when family members helped him get involved with professional services. He shares his story in the hopes of increasing men’s comfort with reaching out and taking action.
2. Depression: #LetsTalk: Angelo’s Story
“Treat the depressed person as a person”
Angelo talks about how his mother helped him in his recovery from depression. The pair discuss the pain they experienced as Angelo battled symptoms of depression and the importance of family support throughout the recovery process.
3. The Bridge Between Suicide and Life: Kevin Briggs
“Standing up for those who may be temporarily too weak to stand up for themselves.”
Kevin Briggs is a recent retiree from the California Highway patrol. During his time as an officer, he responded to hundreds of mental health and suicide-related 911 calls on the golden gate bridge. In his Ted Talk Briggs discusses the reality of suicide, the collateral damage it causes, and how we can work to prevent it.
One of the lives Kevin Briggs saved was that of Kevin Berthia. In his own TedxTalk Berthia speaks about the pain of depression that led him to the Golden State Bridge and how by simply listening to him for over an hour and a half, Briggs was able to save his life: The Impact of Listening | Kevin Berthia | TEDxUCDavisSF.
4. Kevin Love Details His Battles With Mental Illness
“Success is not immune to depression.”
Cleveland Cavaliers center and five-time NBA all-star Kevin Love opens up about his mental health and the stigma he faced. For Love, being vocal about anxiety and depression helped him overcome his mental health challenges.
He now advocates against the stigma of mental health in men and encourages guys to be brave and seek the help they need.
5. DeMar DeRozan and Shannon Sharpe Talk Depression
“Once you talk about it with somebody that you care about and you kind of have that dialogue you can sit there and talk for an hour, two hours, three hours, not knowing that you then got so much off your chest that you never talked about.”
NBA star DeMar DeRozan and former NFL player Shannon Sharpe engage in an open discussion about masculinity and mental health. The two talk about the influence their fathers and grandfathers carried on their understanding of what it means to ‘be a man’, and how this shapes their willingness to display vulnerability.
DeRozan encourages men to reject this façade and engage in difficult conversations with other guys when times get tough.
6. How Do You Stop Men Taking Their Own Lives? Ben Akers
“How are you out of 10?”
In this TedxTalk, film director and men’s mental health advocate Ben Akers discusses the influence losing a childhood friend to suicide carried on his career. Through film, Akers promotes conversations about mental health among men by meeting them where they are at. He hopes that seeing others openly reach out and share their stories motivates guys suffering in silence to do the same.
Akers also organizes safe spaces for men to share their feelings through his program called ‘Talk Club’. Through this work, he encourages guys everywhere to check in on their friends, providing opportunities to engage in much needed conversations.
7. Why We Need To Talk About Depression: Kevin Breel
“The only way we’re going to beat a problem that people are battling alone is by standing strong together”
A teenager at the time, Kevin Breel discusses his silent struggle with depression. As a result of stigma surrounding mental health, Kevin felt unable to share his how badly he felt. Breel’s video was one of the first recovery stories to go viral. The video has over 1,000,000 views.
8. Men, Mental Health and Ending The ‘Man Up’ Mentality
“I understood I was sick, but I didn’t understand that feeling wasn’t permanent”
HeadsUpGuys founder and professor of psychiatry at UBC, Dr. John Ogrodniczuk, discusses HeadsUpGuys with CBC News: The National alongside Project Manager Joshua Beharry. In this short piece, Josh discusses his own battles with depression and attempted suicide, and how his recovery led him to work with John to create HeadsUpGuys.
For more on Josh’s recovery see: Surviving Depression and Attempted Suicide | Josh’s Story
9. Corey Hirsch On Why We Need to Talk About Mental Health
“I had two options: I could either end my own life or I could go get help, and I wanted to live”
Retired Vancouver Canucks goaltender Corey Hirsch discusses his personal experience with depression, panic disorder, and suicidality while playing in the NHL. Like many other men, Hirsch hid his struggles from those around him for as long as he could. Thankfully, he eventually reached out for help and was amazed by the support he received.
He now encourages men to learn from his story and share their struggles with those they trust.
10. Michael Phelps Opens Up About His Struggles with Mental Health
“For a moment I thought it was going to be the end of my life.”
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, talks about his struggles with mental health. During a severe depressive episode before the Rio Olympic Games, Phelps contemplated ending his own life.
After reaching out for help and receiving professional care, he was able to return to the pool and has now become one of the leading athletes and celebrities working to normalize discussions around mental health.
11. JD Schramm Wants Us to Break the Silence Surrounding Suicide
“Because of our taboos around suicide, we’re not sure what to say, and so quite often we say nothing.”
JD Schramm shares his personal story of a suicide attempt and how he faced difficulty in finding adequate support on his journey to recovery. He highlights the lack of resources available at the time and urges us to break the taboo and start a conversation about mental health and suicide.
Through his story, JD offers a message of hope that recovery is possible, and encourages those who may be struggling to seek help.
Our aim with sharing these stories is to let men know that we are not alone in our struggles, and to inspire guys to break the silence and speak up about their experiences, in order to help reduce stigma in their communities. We may never know who could benefit from hearing our stories.
References:
- Luppa, M., et al. “Age- and Gender-Specific Prevalence of Depression in Latest-Life – Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 136, no. 3, 2012, pp. 212–221., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2010.11.033.