A Clydebank man has told how he has gone from suffering a mental health crisis of his own to helping save lives, thanks to Men Matter Scotland.
Greg Hodgson was near breaking point when a colleague reached out to the Drumchapel charity on his behalf.
“Fraser called me one afternoon and within five minutes I was up here bawling my eyes out and telling my story,” the 39-year-old said.
“From the first minute I came through the door it was pretty life-changing, to be honest. It was finally finding that place where I felt safe and could talk.
“We just took it from there and I started to build myself back up again.”
If you are struggling, you can contact Men Matter on 0141 944 7900 or the Samaritans 24/7 on 116 123
Greg attended the charity’s hub in Drumchapel “religiously” as a member for weeks, before becoming a volunteer.
He said: “I was here every day for the first few months. The talking group takes place on a Wednesday night and that was a big eye-opener for me.
“It was one of the main things that kept me going at the time – being able to come and sit in the circle face-to-face with all these guys and hear all these different other problems and perspectives.
“It's really quite magical coming to the talking group and it did help me so much. That’s where I really started to fall into Men Matter more.
“I then started feeling confident enough to help out and I eventually became a volunteer.
“Men Matter had helped me so much and I felt a debt of gratitude that I had to give back.”
But being a volunteer for more than a year, as well as working a full-time job, has meant Greg has also learned so much.
“The way I look at it now is Men Matter has given me an opportunity to give back,” Greg said. “I'm giving back to society and my community.
“Very few people actually make the step to start giving back to their community, and that's what it’s really given me - a sense of me trying to make everything a bit better.
“I thought if I can help one guy that would be enough for me. But I've helped countless guys since.
"We did our Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) course and within a couple of weeks we were finding ourselves using it, and that's crazy. There are too many men dying from suicide.
“I’ve used the skills inside and outside of the hub by recognising the way someone was talking to me and that they were vulnerable and needed help. It’s something that I wouldn’t have picked up on before.
“But because of what Men Matter has given to me and what I'm giving back, I'm able to make an impact on lives, actual lives. And it makes a difference.”
Our sister title the Glasgow Times previously reported that the hub in Drumchapel now has more than 1700 members after being set up just weeks before the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Greg revealed how he sees the charity as “another emergency service”.
“We are catching people that otherwise the system can’t catch,” he said.
“There’s no simpler way of putting it - Men Matter saves lives every day, whether it's stopping guys who are at a total crisis point from suicide, to being that safe place where they can come regularly.
“Mental health is just a constant mind game where you’re fighting against yourself and all the negative thoughts.
"This is a place where the guys know they can come, and people will recognise that there’s something wrong, even if they don’t want to talk.
“Whereas in their day-to-day lives, people just pass by. It's very easy to walk by and not notice, because you don't see mental health.
“But here's a place where that veil is lifted and we are all noticing when somebody’s not quite right, or their behaviours not normal. And that's something that's often not present in these guys' lives outside of Men Matter.”
If you are struggling, you can contact Men Matter on 0141 944 7900 or the Samaritans 24/7 on 116 123
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