Mental health and suicide are subjects close to the Davidson brothers Craig, and Kevin and their dad Adam’s hearts. They are delighted to be raising awareness and hopefully some money for this great cause:

Craig:

“We all have mental health, as we all have physical health. I have a very personal connection to this cause, as my mental health is something I struggled with for many years.

I am proud to be doing Movember with my brother Kevin, who has also struggled with his mental health. But that’s his story to tell. And with our dad Adam.

I struggled with addiction, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and suicidal ideation throughout my teens and twenties. In 2015, I was admitted to hospital following an episode of psychosis. I was as low as I’ve ever been.

Now, six years later, things have turned around. But I want people, especially men, as there is still a societal stigma attached, to know that it is healthy to talk about your mental health. And it is okay not to be okay.”

Kevin:

"We have gyms and leisure centres for physical health and fitness clubs and diets to keep our bodies in tip-top shape, but we are all guilty at some point in our lives of overlooking how healthy we are mentally. Our brain is one of, if not the most important organ in our bodies, and we abuse it with our own lifestyle choices, stress, abuse of substances and our thirst for success and hunger for acceptance in this very fast-paced world we all live in.

I have struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues throughout my late twenties and early thirties. This was down to many different circumstances, including a long career in the catering industry with next to no support available, my own anxiety and low self-esteem and my chronic need to mind read, and people please. I put so much pressure on myself to succeed and provide that I completely forgot about the basics and lost my way. This resulted in several failed suicide attempts and a sorry state of mental illness.

In 2021 with our second child on the way, I completely reevaluated my whole life and taught myself again how to be happy with what I had and what was important.
Life is too short, so try and enjoy every minute.

I have built myself a great support network of family, friends and professionals alike to get my life back on track, one day at a time.

So I am fundraising for men’s mental health and suicide prevention. And growing a moustache and raising awareness with my brother in tow, a man I idolise and have the utmost respect for, is a very small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. It will also annoy my wife as she hates moustaches, lol. So it’s a win-win. Take care”.

Adam:

“I am delighted to be raising awareness and hopefully some money for Movember with my sons Craig and Kevin.

Both of my sons have experienced mental health concerns and thoughts and attempts of suicide. I totally understand what my sons have gone through, and they still are healing.

In the West of Scotland, we often teach men to show no emotion or signs of perceived weakness, like crying. But we all need to understand how to help each other by sharing our stories and helping others.

I was just married and had a young son with my wife Carole when I got a phone call from my sister Mary to say my young brother had been killed in a car accident in the USA. I had to deal with the funeral, as mum and dad were too devastated to do so. There was no help or people other than family to speak to about our loss or devastation to our family unit”.

Globally, the rate of suicide is alarmingly high, particularly in men. Too many men are ‘toughing it out’, keeping their feelings to themselves and struggling in silence. Movember is aiming to reduce the rate of male suicide by 25% by 2030, and the Davidson brothers want to help them get there. Help me stop men dying too young.