Laurence speaks out in video about men’s mental health

MENTAL health charity Mind Your Head has released a film highlighting men’s mental ill health.

The short monologue film tells the story of a young Shetland man named Laurence who talks of his battle with his illness and the impact on not only himself but also his family and friends.

His story is told in his own words and he recalls, at times with real emotion, the real dark side of mental ill health and how alone you can feel if suffering from a mental illness, thinking you are the only person in the world feeling like that.

During the film Laurence speaks of the time he first told one of his friends how he was feeling. At the time of opening up to his friend Laurence found that his friend also shared his own issues.

Anouska Civico of Mind Your Head said it was “such a touching point and for Laurence was the pinnacle moment when he knew he needed to ask for help”.

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“This particular moment in the film reinforces the work that Mind Your Head are currently doing via ‘The Grubby Hut Initiative’ where we visit male-dominated workplaces and talk to the men about managing their own mental health and encouraging them to speak with others including colleagues,” Civico said.

“What we have found is that by sharing your story you will find that it is likely other people are experiencing, or have experienced,  similar issues hence highlighting how prevalent  mental ill health is.”

The film is the first of three to be launched over the coming months tackling the importance of talking about mental health with the focus remaining on men. The films were recorded and produced in collaboration with Dave Donaldson.

Civico said: “This is a very honest and raw film and Laurence is an amazingly brave guy to share his story to help others.

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“The film has taken several months to produce simply because of the nature of the subject matter but the end result is humbling. Myself and Dave feel honoured that he shared his story with us.

“We hope that this film will get men to talk to others about how they are feeling. There is no hesitation when I say that I feel sure that there will be lots of individuals who can relate to what Laurence is saying.”

Mind Your Head chairwoman Shona Manson said: “Having people like Laurence brave enough to share their own experiences of mental ill health is what can really make a difference to others in similar situations in our community. On behalf of Mind Your Head I would like to say a huge thank you to Laurence and his family for working with Anouska and Dave to produce this excellent film.”