Don't Hold A Stiff Upper Lip
Blog by Guest Contributor Bradley
Its Mental Health Awareness week next week and the topic of focus this year is loneliness, a feeling that I am sure – following the past two years – we have all become quite familiar with.
The notion of loneliness doesn’t always equate to being on your own. You can be in a room filled with friends and feel lost in your own head and somewhat abandoned in your own worries. The hashtag for this event is #IveBeenThere and I will be the first to put my hands up here and say to you that, well, I have, and I know that I am not alone in that.
Much alike hair loss, mental health is not an easy topic for men to broach and I have never quite understood the fairness in that notion. Here in England, as a man, I have always felt the attitude pushed upon me that I should operate from a place of strength, physically and mentally; being affected by things in a way that does not equate to anger is not a recognised notion.
I am aware that this attitude is not gender exclusive and is thankfully not aging well for the most part, and this is primarily because, like hair loss, it is being spoken about more openly each day.
So… this isn’t something which I can do a classic me and tell you to self-care away those feelings with a nice skin routine or a comforting head massage with our Hair Spa. We need to be more open! We need to be more open about our health in every aspect, we need to talk about our mental health, and we need to talk about our hair loss!
From reading the blogs over the past two years, I have come to understand so much more relating to the emotional experiences of those facing Hair Loss, particularly in relation to the challenges it causes mentally for those who are going through it, and I have received so much feedback on our weekly webinars or blog posts from men who did not understand that they could be discretely supported in this way.
Did you know that Lecturers Nigel Hunt and Sue McHale’s “Reported Experiences of Person’s with Alopecia Areata” confirmed hair loss as being psychologically damaging, with it creating an intense emotional suffering, and a change in both personal and social behaviour? Not only can hair loss contribute towards poor mental health, but unchecked mental health can cause hair loss. So, it’s important to look after your mental wellbeing in the same way as you would your physical health.
So, to anyone out there, male or female, I urge you not to hold that stiff upper lip. You don’t need to face things alone. Let’s talk.
Aderans UK/Trendco are kickstarting Hair Loss Support groups again in both Hove and Manchester, with more dates coming across the country soon. Our door is open for you to drop in and join others who are facing the same as you, to learn from each other’s experiences and talk all things hair loss. Let’s support and lift each other up. We are stronger together.
Aderans UK/Trendco are raising money for the Mental Health Foundation, if you would like to help us to help others please donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/aderans-uk-trendco
For more support or information on the topics discussed today, visit:
www.mentalhealth.org.uk
www.alopecia.org.uk/
www.aderanshaircentre.co.uk/
Link to article referenced within this piece https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15325020490890633
Hair Reborn is a charity offering free support, advice and a free hair styling service for people suffering hair loss as a result of cancer chemotherapy treatment. Click here to find out more.
