Men can call this phone number for any issue – when they have mental, financial or family problems. And they call – there is only one hotline for men in Poland, and it has already helped a thousand people in three years. Sometimes about important advice, sometimes just a conversation.
If you are struggling emotionally and would like advice or support, here is a list of organizations that offer professional help. In case of immediate threat to life, call 997 or 112. A phone number that can help you and even save your life. It was created with men and their problems in mind and has helped thousands of people. This number is 608 271 402.
– Men call and they are served by men, which, as we hear, is very important for them, – says Sebastian Antonovich, therapist, psychotraumatologist, counselor of the hotline for men.
This phone is intended for those who refuse to use help or do not use it at all, for those from small towns who often do not have the opportunity or do not know how to ask for help. For various reasons, they don’t want or are afraid to ask women for help.
It is only the appearance that women suffer more from depression
– We wanted to create an anonymous space, intended only for them, where in the company of another man, a psychologist, they can open up, – says Dr. Michal Bomastic, president of the Foundation “Institute for the Prevention of Exceptions”.
It turns out that many of them – not only from small towns – really need this opening. According to official statistics, women suffer more from depression – they use psychotherapy in greater numbers. They are also more likely to be hospitalized due to the severity of the disease. This information does not tell the whole story.
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Men are less likely to use the services of psychologists, and it can be assumed that they have difficulty recognizing the symptoms of anxiety. They often wait until the last minute to ask for help.
– They usually come from their parents or partners, and usually this is a significant and severe episode of depression – says prof. Piotr Galecki, psychiatrist, national consultant in the field of psychiatry.
“Unfortunately, the fact that they are less likely to seek help turns into suicide statistics,” says Anna Morawska-Borowiec, psychologist, president of the “Twarze Depression” Foundation.
For every woman who takes her own life, five men take their own lives
According to the police, for every woman who commits suicide in Poland, there are up to five men. Most cases of suicide are committed by people under the age of forty.
Fatal attacks leading to death in 2023
A person suffering from depression needs adequate and fast help, but first you need to know if and when you need it. Men are often hindered by the stereotypes they have been taught since childhood.
– They are not allowed to cry, they have to face and overcome any difficulties, – notes Bartos Nesca, a psychologist.
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“Fortunately, the times when we had to show strength and masculinity in front of predators or men of other tribes and groups are long gone,” says Dr. Tomasz Kozlowski, a sociologist at the Poznań Educational and Research Center.
Young people are often better at talking about feelings than adults
Therefore, today you can break out of these stereotypical roles slower or faster, but still. You can learn openness from the youth.
– Young people, regardless of whether they are girls or boys, talk more or less about these feelings, – points out Alicia Severin, psychologist, counselor of the hotline for children and young people. The hotline for children and teenagers has been operating for 16 years – the number is 116 111. Adults can get help from these numbers: 22 290 44 42 – Twarze Depression Foundation, 608 271 402 – Hotline for men. Most importantly ask for help. Contrary to stereotypes.
– I would like all men to have the courage to reach out for this help, – concludes Sebastian Antonovich.
