The fireman who cut me out (that's why the door is missing) said that he won't be doing any major damage, and that T Cut will get rid of the marks.

Gotta love gallows humour.

In general I think there's more awareness about depression and mental health and people are more open to talking about it and seeking treatment/steps to improve ones mental health, rather than soldiering on or keeping it to yourself as was the norm up until relatively recently, especially among men-folk. I think that makes it seem like it's more prevalent but it's always been there, just not talked about or diagnosed.

Would anyone have had the balls to start a thread on it here ten years ago? You'd probably have been called a pussy and/or told to man up!

I have been struggling these past couple of years. Covid certainly hasn't helped the situation! It doesn't help when those that love you don't understand why one day you can happy as Larry and the next, a right grumpy git, but you simply cannot explain why. I have found that CBD helps a lot when it gets particularly stressful, if anything it's helped me not care so much about things I shouldn't really care so much about. It's definitely an issue for men and I still feel that help really isn't there as much when we need it. I did speak to 'Mind' last year after a referral from my GP but after an initial consultation and a recommendation that I talked with one of their shrinks, I never heard another word from them, which really didn't help me at the time. I should really call them again, as I've had some very dark times indeed over the past year, which I've mostly kept to myself, not wanting to worry those closest too me, but again, it seems to be a macho male thing (not calling myself macho but it seems to be something ingrained in us men where we don't seek help!)

In my experience you have to be very careful with 'counselling' - and private shrinks tend to be better than NHS ones (who mainly act as an arm of the DSS to try and make you ready for work rather than emotionally stable with a proper hold on reality). My parents passed away some years ago and then there was the hideous property grab when you find out what your brothers and sisters are really like - i was not in a good way. I was advised to see someone from 'Stress Minus' - a lovely, wise German lady called Patricia. Her company was called 'Stress-Minus' and three sessions from her to encourage me to engage with positive active things really helped, a real turning point. Might be worth giving it a search when the doldrums occur