Men have nowhere to go and no resources when their world falls apart, says Bill OHehir.
And they won’t seek help until their world falls apart.
“They are always screaming in the media about the number of suicides by males,” said the knockabout Coffs Coast psychologist, who has been working with rural men professionally for more than 30 years."
But there are extremely limited outlets for males.
MEN get little sympathy when it comes to mental health, if Coffs Harbour’s men’s resource centre is any guide.
Five men commit suicide in Australia every day and the Coffs Coast sees its share of that, especially among young men.
But Jean Clayton is beginning to wonder if looking after men is a public liability.
“I can’t find specific funding for men,” Mrs Clayton said.
Bridging the Gap, a not-for-profit service which runs a men’s resource centre in Coffs Harbour, faces a bleak future if it’s unable to gain financial support from the community.
The service, founded locally in 2005, assists men who are down on their luck by offering counselling, support and legal advice.
Up until now it has been run entirely on goodwill.
A generous benefactor was covering Bridging the Gap’s rent for its Little Street office but since his recent passing, the service has been left in financial limbo.