Cold. Dark. Alone.

A quarter of Australian men will experience a diagnosed mental health disorder in their lifetime with one in ten males having made a suicide plan in their lifetime.

For men, navigating their mental health can feel cold, dark and alone. Many men live in silence due to the stigma that surrounds mental health broadly, but particularly for men. Clearly, we need to change the discourse around how blokes approach their mental health problems.

So what’s the plan? I’m going to undertake an Arctic expedition that symbolises the silent struggle that many Australian men are going through each and every day. I will be partnering with a charity that focuses on mental health to raise funds and awareness and help to eliminate the stigma around men’s mental health.

It will be cold. It will be dark. I will be alone. 

But, I’ll have support. I’ll be able to complete the journey not just through my own strength and determination, but through the backing of the team that I have behind me, and with the companionship of a local husky dog. 

Reflecting on my own mental health battle, the expedition signifies the journey I went through. Navigating some of the most challenging proverbial terrain, feeling isolated and alone, and in a dark place with no clear way out.