Honest answers
The questions people actually type.
Thousands of people in the UK search these every month — what mental health is, whether they might be depressed, how to get help without waiting forever, and where our donations go. Plain answers, no jargon, with links into the journal when you want more.
If you need help right now: Samaritans are free on 116 123, 24 hours a day from any UK phone. Or text SHOUT to 85258. In an emergency, call 999. You are not wasting anyone's time.
Understanding mental health
The questions people type when they're trying to make sense of what they're feeling.
- What is mental health, actually?
- Mental health is just the state of your head — how you're thinking, feeling and coping, the same way physical health is the state of your body. Everyone has it, all the time. It's not something you only have when there's a problem. Good mental health doesn't mean being happy all the time; it means being able to feel the full range of things and still function. Poor mental health isn't a character flaw or a weakness — it's health, and it changes.
- Read the journal →Where to start in the UK →
- Am I depressed, or just sad?
- Sadness usually has a reason and passes. Depression is heavier and stickier — it lasts weeks, flattens everything (including things you used to enjoy), and often comes with poor sleep, no energy, and a voice telling you you're worthless. Only a professional can diagnose it, but if low mood has hung around for more than two weeks and it's affecting your daily life, that's worth a GP appointment. You don't need to be at rock bottom to deserve help.
- What depression really feels like →How to get help →
- Is there a mental health test I can take?
- There are short screening questionnaires — the NHS uses the PHQ-9 for depression and GAD-7 for anxiety, and you can find both online for free. They're useful as a rough gauge and as something concrete to show a GP, but they can't diagnose you. Treat the result as a conversation starter, not a verdict. If the questions feel uncomfortably familiar, that's your answer about whether to talk to someone.
- Anxiety in plain English →
- What's the difference between anxiety and stress?
- Stress is a response to something — a deadline, money, a row — and it usually eases when the thing passes. Anxiety can start the same way but then sticks around without a clear cause: racing thoughts, tight chest, dread about nothing in particular. Stress in short bursts is normal; anxiety that runs your day, every day, is worth taking seriously. Both respond to the same basics: sleep, movement, talking about it, and professional help when it's too much.
- What actually helps anxiety →
- Why don't men talk about mental health?
- Because most of us were raised on 'man up'. Boys hear it young — don't cry, crack on, sort yourself out — and by adulthood silence feels normal. The numbers show the cost: suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK, and around three quarters of suicides are men. It's changing, slowly. Every honest conversation between mates makes the next one easier.
- Boys cry too →How to say it out loud →
Getting help in the UK
Practical answers for when you decide to actually do something about it.
- I need help right now — who do I call?
- If you're in crisis or thinking about suicide: Samaritans are free on 116 123, 24 hours a day, from any UK phone. Text SHOUT to 85258 if you'd rather type than talk. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. You are not wasting anyone's time — that's what these services exist for.
- Where to start →
- How do I get mental health help on the NHS?
- Start with your GP — be blunt with them, write down what you want to say beforehand if it helps. In England you can also self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies without seeing a GP first. Waiting lists are real, so while you wait, peer-support groups like Man Down UK (free, no referral needed, 45+ locations) can bridge the gap. If you can afford it, private therapy typically starts around £40–£60 a session via BACP-registered counsellors.
- Getting professional help →About Man Down UK →
- What happens at a mental health assessment?
- It's a conversation, not an interrogation. A professional will ask about how you've been feeling, how long it's been going on, sleep, appetite, whether you've had thoughts of harming yourself, and what support you have around you. Answer honestly — they've heard it all before, and the honest answers are what get you the right help. You can bring someone with you, and you can write things down and hand it over if saying it is too hard.
- What are my rights at work if I'm struggling?
- If your mental health condition has a substantial, long-term effect on your daily life, it can count as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 — which means your employer must make reasonable adjustments (flexible hours, adjusted workload, time for appointments). You don't have to disclose anything to get a job, but telling your employer is what unlocks those legal protections. ACAS has free guidance, and a fit note from your GP can formalise what you need.
- Your rights at work →
- What can I do day to day to feel a bit better?
- The boring basics genuinely work: sleep at a consistent time, move your body most days (a walk counts), eat actual food, cut back on drinking to numb out, and tell one person one true thing about how you are. None of it fixes everything — but it raises the floor under the bad days. Start with one thing, not ten.
- 25 easy self-care ideas →The self-care series →
Supporting someone else
For when you're worried about a mate, a partner, a brother — and don't know what to say.
- How do I ask someone if they're okay?
- Just ask — directly, privately, and without making it a big production. 'You've not seemed yourself lately — how are you, really?' works. Then listen without rushing to fix it. You don't need the right words; you need to stay in the room. Ask twice, because 'I'm fine' is the automatic first answer.
- Talking to your mates →
- What should I do if someone tells me they're thinking about suicide?
- Take it seriously and stay calm. Asking directly about suicide does not put the idea in someone's head — it usually comes as a relief. Listen, don't promise secrecy, and help them reach professional support: Samaritans on 116 123, their GP, or 999/A&E if they're in immediate danger. Stay with them if the risk feels right now. You don't have to carry it alone either — Samaritans will talk to you as the worried friend too.
- How to support someone →
- Where can men go to talk, for free?
- Man Down UK runs free, informal peer-support groups for men 18+ at 45+ locations across the UK — no referral, no waiting list, no pressure to speak. Andy's Man Club runs free Monday-night groups nationwide (#ITSOKAYTOTALK). CALM's helpline (0800 58 58 58, 5pm–midnight) is there for men who'd rather talk on the phone. All free.
- Who we support →
About HHSS and where the money goes
The questions people ask about us — answered the same way we answer everything else.
- What is HHSS?
- HHSS stands for Heavy Heart Strong Soul — a UK mental health clothing brand built on one idea: the people carrying the heaviest things are usually the strongest ones in the room. 'Built From Broken' is the slogan. We make heavyweight hoodies, caps, tees and stickers, and a fixed amount from every item goes to men's mental health support.
- The brand →Built From Broken clothing →
- How much does HHSS actually donate?
- Fixed amounts, not vague percentages: £5 from every hoodie, £3 from every tee, £2 from every cap and £1 from every car sticker. It's priced in, not added at checkout. Every penny of those donations goes to Man Down UK.
- Where the money goes →Shop the range →
- Who is Man Down UK?
- Man Down UK is a non-profit Community Interest Company that started in Cornwall in 2019 — the first group met in Penryn with 8 men. Demand has grown ever since: over 7,500 men walked through their doors in 2025 alone, and there are now 45+ meeting groups across the UK, all run by volunteer facilitators. They offer informal, judgement-free peer support for men 18+ struggling with any kind of mental health issue. Find your nearest group at mandown.org.
- Read the full story →
- Do I have to buy anything to read the journal?
- No. Every article on the journal is free, forever — the self-care series, the guides on getting help, all of it. The clothing funds the writing, not the other way round.
- Read the journal →
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UK delivery
HHSS is online only — no shops, no stockists. Orders for every HHSS hoodie, cap and sticker are sent tracked to every UK address across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Car window stickers ship free and are dispatched in 1–2 working days. Drop 01 clothing is live — early-access members are shopping first; sign up for early access.
See UK delivery and returns, the hoodie size guide, contact us or shop the collection. Wherever you order from, support is national: Samaritans on 116 123 is free from any UK phone, 24 hours a day.