“Each metre represents a life,” she tells herself when she feels tired. Although she has been a fitness trainer for seven years, like most of us there are times when Dowding just doesn’t feel like moving at all.

The challenge motivates her to get up early, go to the machine, start rowing, and hit her daily target of 23,500 metres, which usually takes about two hours.

As someone who has suffered from mental health issues, Dowding understands how difficult it can be to reach out for help. After learning two friends of friends had taken their own lives this year, she took up the challenge to raise awareness of men’s mental health in Hong Kong.

“With World Mental Health Day in October and Movember next month, now seems a great time to raise funds and help increase awareness of mental health and suicide,” Dowding wrote on her fundraising page.

With days to go before she crosses the “finish” line on November 19, she had exceeded 80 per cent of her fundraising goal. Most of the donations have come from friends, family and clients in Hong Kong and her home country, the UK.

How Dowding overcame depression

Dowding has almost 10 years’ experience of battling depression, anxiety and panic attacks. When she was 18, she started not wanting to go out, or to talk to anyone.

The depression peaked several years later. She would often sit with a knife in her hand and wonder if death could take away her emotional and physical pain.

“This is the time that you have control. And the rest of the time, I did not feel in control,” she says.

I was told once you have depression, you will always suffer with it and medication is the only real way forward. I want to tell my story to highlight that this is not trueAli Dowding

Late one night, she took a knife from the kitchen to finally end her life. Her brother walked in the room in time to stop her.

“What are you doing?” he shouted in shock, and immediately woke their mother.

At 3am, the whole family sat down. For the first time, Dowding admitted that she might have depression and needed help.

“I didn’t realise that it was a symptom, specifically of mental health, until the time that I sat there,” says Dowding. “Because you’re so focused on how you are feeling, you are not worried about why you got to that point. You never see a bigger picture.”

She felt exceptionally lucky that her family was there to support her. Her mother introduced her to a therapist. Through weeks of therapy, Dowding started to understand the pattern of her behaviour and slowly returned to who she used to be “before having that shadow”.

This is why she wants to promote The Samaritans’ work.

“There are people who don’t judge you and who can help you when you are in the middle of that moment of ‘let’s just end it all’,” she says of its volunteers.

Why more men than women commit suicide

In 2022, 1,080 people in Hong Kong took their own lives, the most in 15 years, according to the Coroner’s Court. Between 2020 and 2022 the overall suicide rate rose from 12.1 per 100,000 population in 2020 to 14.5 in 2022. Among men in 2022 the rate was 20 per 100,000. Twice as many men as women commit suicide.

The Samaritans’ hotline services received 11,797 calls from males and 5,060 from females in the 12 months to March 2022.

“Contrary to the belief that men are unwilling to seek help, our experience and statistics indicate otherwise. Men actively seek help,” says Janet Jones Tsang, chief executive of The Samaritans Hong Kong.

Social norms often discourage boys from expressing their vulnerabilities, she says. This may mean that when they grow up they manage stress in more solitary ways than women.

“While men do seek help, they may face challenges in recognising and understanding their emotional difficulties,” says Tsang.

She adds: “It is crucial to recognise that individuals who feel suicidal often want to end their emotional pain rather than their lives. Providing a safe space for open conversations is a crucial step in offering timely support and exploring alternatives.”

The funds Dowding raises will be used to upgrade The Samaritans’ hotline equipment, and publicise its services.

Depression is not for life

Dowding, who has been free of depression for several years, is keen to stress that you can overcome it.

“I was told once you have depression, you will always suffer with it and medication is the only real way forward. I want to tell my story to highlight that this is not true.

It cannot be done alone though, she says.

“Understanding that you are not the only one going through [it] can help, which can be easily forgotten when you’re in the middle of battling [it].”

If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page

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