Soften the Fck Up

Who and Why we exist

'Soften the Fck Up’ is aimed at tackling mental health issues for men. Our mission is simple: To make it easier for men to take action than to take their own life.

Suicide is the biggest killer of men aged 14-44 in Australia. In 2010, 2,361 of our family and friends took their own lives - almost as many people who died from road accidents and skin cancer combined. Three quarters were men. (ABS 2010)

The reasons behind suicide are varied, but there is one common factor for many men - the difficulty or unwillingness to admit they’re going through a tough time and ask for help. There’s a culture in Australia where men must be seen to be tough and virtually invincible - any sign of weakness is mocked and ridiculed. It’s reached a point where some men consider it easier to end their own life then to ask a mate for help.

We’re here to change that.

Since launching in 2011, the Soften the Fck Up website has engaged over 20,000 visitors and our videos have been watched over 17,000 times. The result of this?

• 82% of our visitors reported that they would "pass something on" after visiting the website
• 41% "changed their thinking on mental health"
• 52% were more likely to "start a conversation with someone who they think isn't coping".

In 2012, we’re taking this awareness to a new level. We want to equip men with the tools to start the tough conversation. We want to make it easy for men to know where to get help and what kind of help is available to them and their mates - in a language they understand.

Click here for more info on Soften the Fck Up

Why pledge?

We’re in the middle of producing our brand new film campaign “Better if you’re Around”. So far, we’ve funded almost everything out of our own pockets, but we’re now at a stage where we need your help for this campaign to reach the next 20,000 people.

All money raised will be directed towards the campaign, primarily:

• Post production
• Launches of the new campaign in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
• Website redesign to accommodate the new campaign

Everyone involved in the campaign, including all the professionals behind the production and website design have kindly given up their time and expertise to make this campaign a success.

Stills from the new campaign are below:

A little about “Better if You’re Around” (i.e. the new campaign)

A US study, that traced the lives of those who attempted suicide off the Golden Gate Bridge, found that 30 years later, 90% were either still alive or had passed away from natural causes.

Although 10% eventually found another form of suicide, this consistently occurred only within the first six months of the original attempt. Depression and suicide can be lifelong battles, though this study plainly makes the case that, for most, suicide is only a temporary hurdle when pain exceeds a coping strategy.

“Better if You’re Around” highlights some of the experiences, joys and tribulations to be experienced in life - experiences that aren’t always easy to envisage for those with depression. The campaign challenges viewers to think about experiences they'd missed if they or their friends were not around anymore.

Knowing the signs and symptoms are important in starting the tough conversation and knowing what to do, what to say and where to get help are all important parts of that conversation that we need to equip everyone with.

What if we don't reach our goal?

If funding fails, well, we'll probably cry ourselves to sleep for a few weeks, but more importantly all pledges are cancelled. Your card is not charged, it’s like nothing ever happened. Of course, we hope this doesn’t happen!

If you want to find out more or just want to get in touch, you can reach us at [email protected]

The Soften the Fck Up Team:

Soften the Fck Up is run by a group of volunteers, mostly men, from diverse backgrounds (creative advertising, design, medical science, research, human resources, etc.) who are passionate about putting an end to avoidable suicide.

With an advisory team of experts in the mental health sector, including not-for-profit leaders, former & current corporate leaders, social change consultants, clinical psychologists and mental health nurses, we make sure that what we put out is relevant, effective and efficient.