Who and Why
we exist
'Soften the
Fck Up’ is aimed at tackling mental health issues for men. Our mission is
simple: To make it easier for men to take action than to take their own life.
Suicide is
the biggest killer of men aged 14-44 in Australia. In 2010, 2,361 of our family
and friends took their own lives - almost as many people who died from road
accidents and skin cancer combined. Three quarters were men. (ABS 2010)
The reasons
behind suicide are varied, but there is one common factor for many men - the
difficulty or unwillingness to admit they’re going through a tough time and ask
for help. There’s a culture in Australia where men must be seen to be tough and
virtually invincible - any sign of weakness is mocked and ridiculed. It’s
reached a point where some men consider it easier to end their own life then to
ask a mate for help.
We’re here
to change that.
Since
launching in 2011, the Soften the Fck Up website has engaged over 20,000
visitors and our videos have been watched over 17,000 times. The result of
this?
·
- 82% of our
visitors reported that they would "pass something on" after visiting
the website
·
- 41%
"changed their thinking on mental health"
·
- 52% were
more likely to "start a conversation with someone who they think isn't
coping".
In 2012,
we’re taking this awareness to a new level. We want to equip men with the tools
to start the tough conversation. We want to make it easy for men to know where
to get help and what kind of help is available to them and their mates - in a
language they understand.
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