The video from the campaign features three trans men who talk about the challenges they’ve experienced and what’s helped them overcome depression. For example, Jack, who is 48 years old, talks about his experiences of anxiety that he experienced everyday in his life, and also the discrimination and violence he experienced as identifying as transgender and as a masculine-identified lesbian.
Jack said: “For me it felt like I was never going to fit. I would never fit anywhere. So when I did attempt to do that, to attempt suicide, the biggest thing I got out of that I would say is don’t wait until you’re going to do that. Speak. Speak to somebody.
“Because the thing I didn’t do was tell anybody. So, and what happens is, it becomes huge in your head. It’s just your own voice swinging around in circles and you’ll never find a door out of there like that, without talking to somebody and without going through what is happening for you.
beyondblue CEO Kate Carnell AO says: “We also know that while trans men are more likely to seek assistance for depression and anxiety than gay men, they are less likely to find this assistance useful, because of a lack of understanding by health services and discrimination.
“We hope these stories will help build awareness of some of the challenges trans men face and let other trans men who may be going through a difficult time know that there is hope.”
beyondblue has many useful resources for the LGBTI community and can help you learn how to combat depression. For example, they have released fact sheets to help you know how to cope with depression and anxiety.
