International rugby player and CALM Ambassador, Joe Marler, has teamed up with us to make a short film with an important message. It’s not always easy to tell your friends or family when you’re struggling, and with 84% of men admitting to bottling up their emotions, Joe’s got something to help you find the words – it might need a second look!
If you, or one of your mates is struggling, checking in with a friend or family member can really help. Joe’s innovative film highlights how things can easily get lost between the lines when it comes to talking about our feelings. Having struggled with talking to his teammates about his own mental wellbeing, Joe is familiar with the outdated and false view that opening up about our emotional health is a sign of weakness. He wants to change that.
“Rugby is the ultimate macho sport and there’s a fear that if you show any sort of weakness publicly then you’re giving free rein to the opposition to take advantage of it. Alongside that, I always worried that if I opened up about my mental health struggles that it would be used against me, or seen as weakness by my own team mates.
“The more I’ve spoken openly with my friends and family about my issues, the stronger I’ve felt. It’s strong to be open and honest about how you feel, it’s not a weakness. I was really excited about the prospect of this project helping people to understand that it’s okay to struggle, it’s okay not to be okay and that they’re not alone in how they’re feeling.”
With Joe’s help, we want to smash the stigma surrounding men’s mental wellbeing, so take a look at the film below to find out what’s really going on beneath the surface of this post-match interview with Joe.
It can be tricky to make sense of our emotions, especially when you’re struggling, but CALM has got your back. Our helpline and livechat service is open every day from 5pm until midnight. No matter what you’re going through, our trained helpline staff offer free, confidential advice.
Need support? Worried about someone? CALM’s free, anonymous and confidential helpline and livechat are open every day, 5pm-midnight. Access the helpline and livechat.
