AN online community is providing a safe haven for Sunraysia men to speak openly about their mental health.
For a lot of males, talking about mental health remains a taboo subject, and it's no secret that isolated communities are significantly disadvantaged in this area.
When he was diagnosed with anxiety and depression last year, Corey Iredale, 51, founded Mates Incorporated, a closed Facebook group that empowers males to communicate with each other.
"After I had that full diagnosis of anxiety and depression, which I never knew I had ... I thought to myself, 'I'm gonna write something on Facebook to share the message,'" Mr Iredale said.
"My wife instead gave me the idea to set up a Facebook page, which was a great idea."
Initially, the group was open to the public, but Mr Iredale soon realised the potential of going private.
"Even though we have close to a thousand members, I felt that a closed space would enable people to speak more," Mr Iredale said.
"There's guys talking to each other that don't know each other and that's unreal, I think it's awesome.
"It's just a place where guys can talk openly and maybe get some help if they need it."
Mr Iredale said it felt good to use his connections to benefit the community.
"I'm not a psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor or counsellor, I'm just a bloke, but I'm a bloke that's connected to people," he said.
"Coming from a regular dude, I think that can make it easier for people to open up."
Mr Iredale believed Mates Incorporated could expand nationally, but in the meantime he was excited to build its presence in the area he grew up in.
"In 2023, Mildura lost a number of males between 18 and 50 ... four people committed suicide in the space of a month," he said.
"For men, it's hard to say if there's enough resources available ... from the amount of guys that have jumped in to this page, I think that says there's probably not enough.
"In the future, we're aiming to have a venue, a drop-in kind of set-up, with trained counsellors but in the meantime I'm pretty happy with what's been achieved."
Join Mates Incorporated at HERE.
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