They said man up. Some days you're man down.
And that’s ok. Feeling low, numb or lost doesn’t make you less of a man. It makes you human, and talking helps.
What do you need help with?
Pick the one closest to where you are. You can always come back and try another.
"Man up" has never fixed anything.
Most of us were raised to keep it in. Don’t cry, don’t complain, crack on. So we drink it down, work it off, or go quiet, and the people closest to us never know how bad it got.
Man Down exists to say the thing nobody said to us: you’re allowed to not be ok, and you’re allowed to say so.
3 in 4
people who die by suicide in the UK and Ireland are men.
Based on ONS and CSO figures.
MAN DOWN stands for something.
Isolation is the quietest crisis.
Society tells men to be independent islands, but nobody survives alone. When we don’t have a trusted circle to lean on, a bad day turns into a dark place fast.
Man Down is here to bridge that gap. We are building the brotherhood, the community and the networks men need to talk, heal and rebuild.
How man down can look
It isn’t always tears. For a lot of men it looks more like this. Sound familiar?
- Snapping at the people you loveShort fuse, everything gets on your nerves.
- Drinking more to switch offOne or two to unwind turns into most nights.
- Sleeping badly, or all the timeWide awake at 3am, or can’t get out of bed.
- Feeling nothing at allGoing through the motions, flat and numb.
- Pulling away from your matesMaking excuses, letting calls ring out.
- Thinking they’d be better off without youIf that one is you, please talk to someone today.
Why I started Man Down
My name is Oisín, and I’m the founder of Man Down. I’ve lived through some incredibly difficult experiences, spent many years fighting battles that nobody could see, and finally found the courage to start facing them.
For most of my life, I struggled in silence. Today, I’m working towards a future where other men don’t have to.
"I cannot change what happened to me, but I can help shape what happens next."
Oisín
You don't have to man up. You just have to reach out.
Samaritans are there 24 hours a day on 116 123, free from any phone in the UK or Ireland.