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THE POSITIVITY ISSUE
HELP IS AT HAND
WHILE BEING HAPPY AND POSITIVE EVERY DAY IS AN IDEAL , THE REALITY IS OFTEN VERY DIFFERENT . SO , WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT ?
L ife often provides ups and downs – most of the time without warning . And just as it ’ s completely appropriate to feel elated when something positive happens – for example , winning a big new contract at work , the birth of a child , or your footy team actually winning the grand final ( rather than stuffing it up like the useless b *&$&@ ^Xs ! usually do ) – it ’ s also completely appropriate to feel down about things sometimes . If someone close is ill or has passed away , for example , or if you have financial worries , you ’ d not be human if you didn ’ t feel down . People would question your sanity if you weren ’ t .
However , if those feelings stay with you for months or years , or if you feel down for a prolonged period of time without any noticeable reason , then something ’ s amiss .
Think of eight blokes you know . Statistically , one of them will suffer from depression at some point , and one in five will have anxiety . It ’ s a massively common problem . It ’ s perfectly normal . And yet suicide is still the biggest killer there is for men under 44 – and the second biggest for men aged 45 to 54 .
Every day , more than six men on average take their own life in Australia . The number of men who suicide every year is double the national road toll !
It ’ s a huge killer – and if you ’ re a tradie , you ’ re more at risk than any other profession .
THE RISK AT WORK According to statistics , tradies are 70 per cent more likely to commit suicide than your mates who earn a living behind a desk . Why ? Because tradies are exposed to different stresses than other people .
You ’ ve got long hours and a physically – and mentally – demanding job to consider . In addition , employment opportunities can fluctuate with the economy ; there are never too many guarantees about the work that ’ s going to be around .
Then there are drugs and alcohol . ‘ Lifethreatening drinking ’ in construction workers , for example , is double the national average , while drug use is 10 per cent higher . So there are plenty of factors negatively impacting the mental health of tradies across the country – and the good news is you can do something positive about it .
By understanding the warning signs in yourself and your mates , you can know what to look out for – and get in there early .
Mental-health issues aren ’ t anything to be ashamed or embarrassed about at all – and by being ultra aware , you can be a huge positive influence .
It literally could be the difference between life and death . n
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