My relationship with mental health issues has manifested itself in a number of ways. Even looking at the photos from this shoot I’m reminded that I wasn’t feeling my best that day. (Perhaps even that whole week?) Perception is interesting. Sometimes sudden anxiety or depression arrives seemingly out of nowhere. Feeling great one moment and fearful or isolated the next. Sometimes gradual like an ocean’s tide, with bouts of depression while the tide is high, before gradually finding your legs again and getting your head above water as the tide goes out.

However these manifestations may vary, the path to peace, the coping mechanisms and the self-development remain the primary goal. Be brave enough to talk. Talk with a friend, a confidant, family member, therapist or lover – but talk to someone. Sharing, knowing you are supported and in company on that road is vital to self-discovery and hopefully recovery.  Sharing the load is not only enlightening but a relief to the burden. It can also be therapeutic to those who you have opened up to.  Be that friend.

A listening ear or being a sounding board for another can be symbiotic to all. Grow together. Knowing you are not alone can help keep you afloat when you feel like sinking. At our very centre we are all surprisingly similar.  

A healthy diet of exercise, mindfulness and consistency… It helps. Breathing. Connecting with nature, getting into nature. I discovered many of my own answers through nature.

Laugh. It really shouldn’t be underestimated. Laugh as much as you fucking can.

I am very lucky to have a group of close male friends who openly talk about emotions and share our personal lives (and laugh a lot). Sometimes just one of them meeting me for a coffee has helped and provided a path out. And other times I’ve needed them a little more along the way. I’ve been the shoulder to cry on oftentimes, too, and in turn I am able to offer my support when they are in a bit of a pickle.

It’s not always easy but it’s always rewarding. Listening and feeling listened to is the business and doesn’t cost much.

These people have become the most special relationships in my life. They help me trust and be honest with them and myself. They help me feel safe, free of fear and free of judgment or ridicule. I think true masculinity is heightened when I engage and talk about my emotional world with someone I trust to listen. I am very grateful to these wonderful men, even if they don’t know it. They make my life better.

Mental health rears its ugly head in so many people’s lives and it isn’t going anywhere.  How we choose to face it in our own lives AND in the lives of those we love, is fluid. It can change like the tides, so work at not being afraid to share and find the people with whom you can speak up to.  

Take care of yourself and each other. Listen, breath, take moments, meditate, jog, swim, write and, most importantly, GIVE yourself. I think finding joy in the act of giving is one of the secrets to life.

Ironically, I was having a shitty day when this photo was taken. Hopefully this wonderful project helps shed some light in the darkness, through benevolent authenticity and genuine honesty.

Try harder to learn, grow and talk together.

Turn the tide.

— Ryan Corr