Jadiael Tekii remembers the night he thought he had tucked his children into bed for the last time.
WARNING: This story contains references to suicide.
It was three years ago, and he planned to end his life the next day.
But a phone call from his partner and then another from a mate stopped him.
"I'd got to the point where in my head no-one wanted me here anymore and I actually felt like a burden to my own family and to my kids," Mr Tekii said.
He has since drawn on his experience with depression and anxiety to create Project Blokes, a group in Rockhampton that aims to make men feel more comfortable talking about their mental health.
Lifeline reports that 75 per cent of people who die by suicide in Australia are male and Mr Tekii wants to improve the health outcomes of men.
Project Blokes hosts group walks for men, as well as information sessions at work sites to raise awareness of mental health and connect people with support.
"We do a fortnightly men's check-in … we will have around 10, 14 blokes come in on average," he said.
"We just go around and we actually go through what was a win and what was a struggle … we want people to share a win and something they've overcome."
A space to be 'fully vulnerable'
Nick Grieves first attended a Project Blokes walk after seeing a psychologist through his work, who suggested he reach out to a local group for support.
"I was going through a rough stage at work, I'd just started a mature-age apprenticeship, so I'd dropped [earning] about 10 dollars an hour," he said.
"I was down in the dumps and I didn't feel real manly.
"Going on a walk rather than going to the pub … every bloke there is fully vulnerable.
"There's no beers, no pokies in the background, you're just there to get stuff off your chest and it's just a safe space."
Mr Grieves said the group introduced him to coping strategies, like breath work, and now he volunteers with Project Blokes to help others.
"It's unreal; it's changed my life," he said.
Mr Tekii said men often felt the pressure to provide for their families, and the group focused on helping men find their identity outside of providing.
He said he also thought traditional stereotypes of men harmed their mental health.
"It's about reframing and changing the culture of how men are to be strong," he said.
"It isn't actually about putting up a front, but it's to be strong like 'this is what I'm going through' and being vulnerable and open about talking about these sorts of things."
Mental health stigma
The Queensland manager of Lifeline, Geoffrey Norman, said projects like Mr Tekii's encouraged conversations around mental health.
"This is a fantastic initiative … it's a deliberate reason to get together and talk about things, and it doesn't have to be therapy … but getting together and getting out and having a walk, doing it in a healthy environment is a real positive," Mr Norman said.
"We know that men are less likely to reach out for help. There still remains a stigma about seeking help, talking about things, and really getting some assistance and support.
"There's also not as much opportunity or times where men feel comfortable to talk about their worries or concerns."
Mr Norman said if people noticed someone else struggling, to take note of behavioural changes and talk to that person about those observations in a non-confrontational and caring manner.
Mr Tekii said he wanted to share his story so that other men felt less alone.
"We're just your average Aussies who want to help other blokes," he said.
