Published in Invisible Illness·PinnedMember-onlyThe 6 Most Common Issues That Lead Men to Commit Suicide, According to Suicidal MenFrom my time as a suicide prevention hotline worker, these are the quiet struggles men face. — For over two years, I volunteered for an organization whose goal was to prevent suicide. We did most of our work via telephone, but the door was always open to visitors who needed a face-to-face meeting. We did not just help prevent suicide. We were a listening service for the…Mental Health8 min readMental Health8 min read
Published in Mind Cafe·4 hours agoMember-only7 Things You Stop Doing Once You Learn to Respect YourselfTaking back responsibility for your life. — When I was younger, my self-confidence was lower than a snake's belly. Years of bullying had crushed my self-worth. This compounded my problems because my behavior gave people signals to walk all over me. After a battle that lasted years, I pulled myself out of this pit, and I can…Self6 min readSelf6 min read
Published in Mind Cafe·2 days agoMember-only7 Common Mistakes Good Listeners Don’t MakeActive listening saves lives. — I was on top of a multi-story car park trying to stop a young man from jumping to his death. It was late at night and eerily quiet. For those moments, he and I seemed like the only people in the world. He was on the other side of the…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published in Publishous·5 days agoMember-onlyHow to Stop the Horrifying Pandemic of Male LonelinessWhat it means to be a man in the modern world. — I was so lonely when I started college that I spent breaks in the toilets. I later became a volunteer for a service offering a listening ear to the entire gamut of human suffering— particularly suicidal thoughts. I was struck by how many men of all backgrounds, races, and sexual…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published in Publishous·6 days agoMember-only6 Reassuring Signs You’re on the Path to Success.Whose dream are you living? — Self-help has a lot to answer for. Many of us feel we need to reinvent the wheel and reach the top of our chosen field just to be happy with what we see in the mirror. You see gurus on social media preaching to wake up at some ungodly hour…Self6 min readSelf6 min read
Published in Publishous·Mar 14Member-only11 Small Things to Stop Doing If You Want People to Like YouTreat being likable as a skill to practice. — You try to be kind, but people don’t warm to you. You reason that you aren’t a “people person.” You get frustrated that people you judge as lower than you on the social ladder are more popular. The good and bad news is this is your fault. You can take…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published in Publishous·Mar 13Member-onlyThe Everyday Struggles People Face with Feeling Good Enough and How to Overcome ThemWe can’t hate ourselves into a version we love. — You struggle to get anything done. You rip yourself to shreds inside your head, finding fault with everything you do. Your inner voice is always there, telling you to give up and that you’ll never make it. Our culture tells us to look outside ourselves for self-worth. We’re bombarded with…Self Improvement7 min readSelf Improvement7 min read
Published in Publishous·Mar 12Member-onlyEncounters with the Dead Taught Me 4 Precious Lessons about LivingEvery contact leaves a trace. — TW: This article contains frank and detailed discussion of violent death. It’s weird how the dead have taught me more than the living ever could. As a police officer, I saw more dead people than I can count, and everyone left a mark. It’s how I got PTSD. But behind…Death6 min readDeath6 min read
Published in Publishous·Mar 11Member-onlyHow to Stop Bullying from Destroying Your LifeFind the fire within and demand better. — There I was, in the male changing room of High School, being beaten with the metal side of a tennis racket across my forearms. The pain surged through me with every strike, but the physical damage wasn’t the worst part. Each strike crushed my self-belief. My tormentor was emasculating me…Bullying6 min readBullying6 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Mar 8Member-onlyHow to Escape the Waking Nightmare of Flashbacks Linked to Past TraumaFree yourself from the agony of your past. — There I was, walking down the side of a Scottish mountain, sobbing and hyperventilating over a sheep. The sheep had been dead a while, and the smell of decomposition had reached me. Suddenly I wasn’t on a beautiful mountain. I was at a crime scene from years earlier. …Mental Health5 min readMental Health5 min read
