London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026

'Dear men of London, it's okay to admit if you're feeling lonely'

'Dear men of London, it's okay to admit if you're feeling lonely'

Being surrounded by people doesn't always stop you feeling like you're alone, says mental health first aider Richard Duggan. In a city like London it can feel like you never get a minute to yourself.
Even when you're surrounded by huge crowds in the street or boisterous colleagues in the office you can still feel incredibly alone.

Having a mental illness can be very isolating, particularly for men who don't always feel like they can open up.

In the UK, the highest suicide rate is among men aged 45 to 49 and men are three times as likely to die by suicide than women, according to the Samaritans.

The rate of deaths among under 25s increased by 23.7 per cent, reaching 730 deaths in 2018.

Looking at rates of suicide by English region, the lowest rate was London in 2017, according to the Office of National Statistics.

There were 7.7 deaths per 100,000 that year. But one death to suicide is too many.

The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide, the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK and the cause of 18 deaths every day.

It urges men to talk about their feelings, to reach out when they need help and not to feel ashamed if they're living with poor mental health.

Many men feel they aren't "manly" for talking about their emotions or what's going on in their minds.

To speak about feeling low, sad, anxious, depressed or even suicidal is seen as a sign of weakness.

This could not be further from the truth.

There's a lot less stigma around speaking about mental health now; that's partly down to the work of the charities previously mentioned and a number of high profile celebrities talking publicly about their own struggles.

But it's also thanks to ordinary people who've been brave and confided in someone about how they're feeling, breaking down stereotypes one conversation at a time.

Several months ago I opened up publicly for the first about my own struggles with mental health and how talking about my depression saved me from taking my own life.

Although I felt incredibly nervous about sharing my own story, I hoped that in speaking out it would make a difference to someone out there who was in crisis.

The conversations I had with those I was close to at the darkest time in my life were incredibly painful - not just for myself but for my family and friends too.

But now they have a much clearer understanding of how I reached that dark stage in my life and how they can help support me going forward.

It's so important we keep the conversation about mental health going, not just on World Mental Health Day, but every single day.

So please, if you're a man in London who's having a hard time with his mental health, just know you are not alone, not really.

There's nothing wrong with feeling lonely. What's wrong is not feeling you can ask for help, because you can.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The Great Western Exit: Why Best Citizens Are Fleeing the Rich World [PODCAST]
The New Robber Barons of Intelligence: Are AI Bosses More Powerful Than Rockefeller?
The End of the Old Order [Podcast]
Britain’s Democracy Is Now a Costume
The AI Gold Rush Is Coming for America’s Last Open Spaces [Podcast]
The Pentagon’s AI Squeeze: Eight Tech Giants Get In, Anthropic Gets Shut Out [Podcast]
The War Map: Professor Jiang’s Dark Theory of Iran, Trump, China, Russia, Israel, and the Coming Global Shock [Podcast]
Labour Is No Longer a National Party [Podcast]
AI Isn’t Stealing Your Job. It’s Dismantling It Piece by Piece.
Lawyers vs Engineers: Why China Builds While America Litigates [Podcast]
Churchill’s Glass: The Drunk, the Doctor, and the Myth Britain Refuses to Sober Up From
Apple issues an unusual warning: this is how your iPhone can be hacked without you doing anything
Kennedy’s Quiet War on Antidepressants Sparks Alarm Across America’s Medical Establishment
The Met Gala Meets the Age of Billionaire Backlash
Russian Oligarch’s Superyacht Crosses Hormuz via Iran-Controlled Route
Gunfire Disrupts White House Correspondents’ Dinner as Trump Is Evacuated
A Leak, a King, and a Fracturing Alliance
Inside the Gates Foundation Turmoil: Layoffs, Scrutiny, and the Cost of Reputational Risk
UK Biobank Breach Exposes Health Data of 500,000, Listed for Sale on Chinese Platform
KPMG Cuts Around 10% of US Audit Partners After Failed Exit Push
French Police Probe Suspected Weather-Data Tampering After Unusual Polymarket Bets on Paris Temperatures
CATL Unveils Revolutionary EV Battery Tech: 1000 km Range and 7-Minute Charging Ahead of Beijing Auto Show
Crypto Scammers Capitalize on Maritime Chaos Near the Strait of Hormuz: A Rising Threat to Shipping Companies
Changi Airport: How Singapore Engineered the World’s Most Efficient Travel Experience
Power Dynamics: Apple’s Leadership Shakeup, Geopolitical Risks in the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe's Energy Strategy Amidst Global Challenges
Apple's Leadership Transition: Can New CEO John Ternus Navigate AI Challenges and Geopolitical Pressures?
Italy’s €100K Tax Gambit: Europe’s Soft Power Tax Haven
News Roundup
Microsoft lost 2.5 millions users (French government) to Linux
Privacy Problems in Microsoft Windows OS
News roundup
Péter András Magyar and the Strategic Reset of Hungary
Hungary After the Landslide — A Strategic Reset in Europe
Meghan Markle Plans Exclusive Women-Focused Retreat During Australia Visit
Starmer and Trump Hold Strategic Talks on Securing Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Unofficial Australia Visit by Prince Harry and Meghan Expected to Stir Tensions with Royal Circles
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
UK Stocks Rise on Ceasefire Momentum and Renewed Focus on Diplomacy
UK to Hold Further Strategic Talks on Strait of Hormuz Security
Starmer Voices Frustration as Global Tensions Drive Up UK Energy Costs
UK Students Voice Concern Over Proposal for Automatic Military Draft Registration
Rising Volatility Drives Uncertainty in UK Fuel and Petrol Prices
UK Moves to Deploy ‘Skyhammer’ Anti-Drone System to Strengthen Airspace Defense
New Analysis Explores UK Budget Mechanics in ‘Behind the Blue’ Feature
Man Arrested After Four Die in Channel Crossing Tragedy
UK Tightens Immigration Framework with New Sponsor Rules and Fee Increases
UK Foreign Secretary Highlights Impact of Intensified Strikes in Lebanon
UK Urges Inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran Ceasefire Framework
UK Stocks Ease as Ceasefire Doubts in Middle East Weigh on Investor Confidence
UK Reassesses Cloud Strategy Amid Criticism Over Limited Support Measures
×