More than 840,000 Canadian men are affected by depression each year. Around 11 per cent of men and 16 per cent of Canadian women will experience major depression in the course of their lives, according to Health Canada. It is also the second leading cause of disability worldwide.
Last summer, photographer Joel Robison was living and working in London, travelling to exciting places, and surrounded by amazing family and friends. But despite all this, something felt wrong – the depression he first experience in junior high school had crept back in.
“I was sinking down into a place I didn’t want to go,” he told CTV News. “And I was nervous about admitting that because I felt guilty, like I was living a lie. I was pushing out this happy, ideal, adventurous lifestyle on social media, but in reality I was struggling.”
To counter this, the group HeadsUpGuys – which is funded by the Movember Foundation and the University of British Columbia – launched a story campaign and fundraiser at the start of the month.
Personal accounts of men overcoming depression will be shared daily for a month to encourage those who are struggling to reach out.
Men like Robison, who eventually reached out for help via a blog post he wrote.