Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 (World Suicide Prevention Day)

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/15/suicide-silence-depressed-men

Suicide and silence: why depressed men are dying for somebody to talk to

Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50. For that to change, the stigma of mental illness must be challenged.

Nine months ago, Jake Mills texted his girlfriend one final time to tell her he loved her – and then he tried to kill himself. "I genuinely felt that I was a burden to a lot of people's lives," the 25-year-old Liverpool comedian says. "A lot of people say suicide is a selfish act but, in that frame of mind, if you're about to kill yourself, you just don't see anything better."

Although Jake had been visiting a counsellor, he was just telling her what he thought she wanted to hear. "She discharged me and told me that I was healthy and better. But actually I wasn't better, I was just better at lying."

Jake was rescued by his girlfriend and has been confronting his depression ever since. But for all too many men, there is no rescue. Last week, millions were shocked by the suicide of beloved actor Robin Williams. The aftermath has provoked a long-neglected debate about mental health and suicide.

#WorldSuicidePreventionDay