Tell yourself what you’d tell a mate
Building and construction industry fund group Incolink has released a powerful video encouraging men to reach out if they are struggling.
The video shows a construction worker tearfully discussing why his mate should seek help.
"Suicide, yeah well, I guess that’s an option mate but you shouldn’t suffer in silence," he says.
"You’re just worth too much. I mean, who’s going to sort out all those fittings?"
The one-way conversation concludes with the man turning his mobile phone over in his hands as the camera pans out to reveal an empty lunch room as the words, "Tell yourself what you’d tell a mate" fill the screen.
"I just don’t want to feel like this anymore," the man weeps, as he holds Incolink’s 24/7 counselling and support numbers.
Incolink is a joint enterprise of employer associations and industry unions in the commercial building, construction and civil allied industries in Victoria and Tasmania and was established in 1988.
It also provides a range of wellbeing and support services to the building and construction industry.
One of these is an Incolink Bus, which offers free prostate screening and skin checks to men at construction sites around Victoria and Tasmania.
“In industries like ours, where the days are long and the work is hard, it’s understandable that the last thing we want to do on our day off is visit a GP,” says Incolink.
Incolink has a suicide awareness and prevention program called Bluehats, which has been co-designed with the construction industry to help when you’re down or just need someone to talk to.
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Find out more about Incolink's Bluehats program
Read: Give blokes a fair share of suicide funding says AMHF