Movember | Dom's story

By Dominic Hollis, Sourcing Specialist

​With Movember historically being the month to raise awareness for male health issues (specifically on prostate and testicular cancer), it has recently expanded to include mental health and suicide. Suicide is the single biggest killer amongst males under 45 years of age in the UK.
This Movember, our sourcing specialist, Dom, shares his story on mental health and how speaking up for help has made all the difference.

Cancer has been a part of our family history. My auntie passed away from cervical cancer in 2007, my paternal grandfather was admitted to terminal care in 2017 and my maternal grandfather is currently living with prostate cancer, therefore it has always been a topic that hits close to home.

When my paternal grandfather became ill, he was admitted into terminal care in November 2017. Despite us knowing that he did not have long left to live, he still passed much quicker than expected. At first, I thought I would be OK as I was expecting it. However, over time I lost focus, motivation and control over myself – I turned to alcohol for solace.

This was also around the time I was in my final year at university. I completely lost all motivation to complete my degree, let alone the drive do well. I felt very alone and secluded, like I had no one to turn to for help and advice. All my friends had finished their degrees, so why couldn’t I?!

I would spend days on end looking at my laptop, having no focus or will to write my dissertation. I could not get out of bed to attend lectures, cook meals or even take a shower. Eventually, a close friend at uni reached out. She gave me the reassurance and confidence I needed to go to the doctor and get some help.

I didn’t want to admit something was wrong.
I couldn’t understand why I was feeling so different to other people. And because I take criticism badly and see myself as a highly independent person, no one else really knew I had these problems. Just the thought of having people feel sorry for, or worry about me is a nightmare.

My brother and sister were very, very supportive – which caught me by surprise.
I didn’t think they would understand, but they gave me so much support. My mum was less supportive though – she couldn’t understand why I didn’t tell her, or why I needed to take medication. In her eyes, it wouldn’t have made me feel any better… That being said, I’m still pleased I opened up – knowing my siblings were there for me was helpful enough.

To all the men (and whoever else is reading this) out there, you’re not any less of a person just because you don’t feel “normal”.
There is an end in sight and you won’t be stuck feeling the same way forever. I think people in general need to be more open about mental health. The workplace should be understanding, OPEN and supportive – not a place where we all hide our problems under the sheets, so to speak. My advice would be to TALK to friends and family – don’t bottle it up.

Don’t drink or take substances to get your way through it. Don’t wait for the next day to ‘feel better’ – address it NOW or you won’t be able to be your true self and reach your real potential in life.

​​Guidant is by far one of the best companies I have worked for. Although I’m in a better place now, I know that Guidant would always be there to hear me out if I have any issues. Guidant Global’s parent company, Impellam Group, runs Help Assured, an initiative, that enables its employees who want to seek advice surrounding their mental health do so in a safe and confidential environment – this is a fantastic initiative that should be seen in every workplace.

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At Guidant Global, we always encourage our people to bring their authentic selves to work. Join us today and work in an environment that embraces its people with difference life circumstances >