This week I welcome my new co-host, Kev Stockbridge, for a deep, honest, and surprisingly uplifting conversation about Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, International Men’s Day, and the often-hidden issue of male loneliness , especially as men age.
Kev brings his experience as a UK Mental Health First Aider, sharing shocking statistics, the roots of men’s silence, why loneliness hits men harder later in life, the crisis of male social isolation, and why so many men fall off a social cliff after retirement.
From Movember moustaches to actionable support models, from suicide statistics to why men avoid support groups filled with women, this episode is equal parts enlightening, tender, funny, and necessary.
Key Takeawys
- Why November matters for men’s mental health
- Movember: where it started and what it funds today
- Suicide statistics and the shocking gender divide
- How men and women differ in social connection
- Why loneliness skyrockets for men over 50
- The “A.L.E.C.” model anyone can use to support someone
- Why retirement is psychologically dangerous for men
- How purpose protects mental health
- The rise of male-only support spaces (Men’s Shed, Andy’s Man Club)
- Creating social networks before retirement
- Practical, real-life ways to support the men in your life
Timestamps
01:57 – Why Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month matters
03:11 – Suicide; methods & how they differ by age
05:30 – Movember: the origin story (and the ridiculous moustaches)
06:34 – What Movember funds today
08:00 – The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride
09:35 – International Men’s Day & this year’s theme
11.34 – Why men die younger than women
13.33 – The A.L.E.C. Model: Ask, Listen, Encourage, Check-in
14:10 – What problems men bring to mental health first aiders
15:50 – Loneliness: the hidden epidemic for older men
16:35 – Social isolation vs loneliness (they’re not the same)
18:00 – 911,000 men over 50 live alone, rising to 1.5 million by 2030
20:55 – Why men struggle socially after 50
22:17 – Why men avoid support groups run mostly by women
22:45 – Men’s Shed, Andy’s Man Club & male-only spaces
24:50 – Kev’s personal retirement plans (and my opinion)
29:12 – The importance of purpose, routine & brain stimulation after retirement
30:36 – Men need reasons to meet up, not just “a chat”
31:10 – Being kind, checking in, and supporting the men around you
https://uk.movember.com
https://internationalmensday.com
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/loneliness/
https://menssheds.org.uk
https://andysmanclub.co.uk
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