Dan Simms is almost 100 miles into his long walk from Wales to Amsterdam for men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50, with men aged 20-59 at the highest risk. There’s still a stigma around men seeking help when they’re struggling.
With 5,284 suicides in England in 2022 – and 3,909 of those being male – there’s never been a better time to talk about men’s mental health.
Dan said:
“That’s what this walk is all about: encouraging men to talk about their problems and challenges.
“I want to raise awareness of how fragile men’s health can be: how important it is to speak up, seek support, and help each other.
“Too many people have thoughts trapped inside them, and some don’t make it past those thoughts. I want people to know that there’s a different way to battle through the tough times: speak to the right people and open up about the things that are trapped inside.”
Mental illness is a lonely and painful experience. This walk symbolises that cold, lonely, dark journey through a mental health crisis.
Ollie reached out to the Samaritans at a time when he felt there was no way out. They supported him, and encouraged him to talk to people about how he was feeling.
“Admitting I had a problem was the hardest thing. I knew I had to get out of that thought process. When I told my group of friends what I was going through, a few of them put their hands up and told me they knew exactly how I felt, which is why it’s so important to talk to people and get help when you need it. All three of us could have helped each other. We talk a lot now.
“If you’re going through a tough time, the best thing you can do is talk and share it. Sometimes its ok not to be ok, but things can always get better and there are so many more options. Facing your problems is hard and terrifying but it’s much better to get help and get better. Talk about how you feel.”
Dan agreed:
“I’m completely on my own on this walk. People are greeting me at evening stop overs, and I’m hugely grateful to the support and kindness that hotels and restaurants have been extending to me – it makes a huge difference and I can’t thank you enough. But on the actual walk itself, from location to location, I’m completely alone.
“That’s a lot of silent thinking time.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about my friends, Tom and Rory, who both sadly took their own lives, and who inspired me to take on this challenge. I feel that they are very much with me mentally while I’m walking.
“I’m thinking of them, thinking of their families, and thinking about all the people who have sent in messages to me, telling me heartbreaking stories about losing their wives, their husbands, sons and daughters to suicide.
“All these stories are with me. I picked up an injury on day one, and every step since then has been painful, but there is a lot of motivation for me to complete this walk.
“It’s hard to be a man. We have this ‘duty’ to be strong and crack on, to promote masculinity. But part of being strong is understanding yourself, and being able to open up and help yourself, and seek help when you need it.
“I want to show people how to be a strong person, who cares and wants to help others. I want to help signpost the way to support for men who are in need.”
Dan is raising money for the families of his friends, Tom and Rory, and for men’s suicide prevention charity Andy’s Man Club. Andy’s Man Club offers free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the UK and online, aiming to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health, and to help men through the power of conversation.
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