DR Ian Hulme, GP at Meadowside Medical Centre, Congleton, and NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) clinical lead for mental health, talks about a sensitive topic in this week's Guardian.

It’s shocking yet sadly true that men account for eight out of every 10 suicides.

Indeed, suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under the age of 35, which exemplifies more than ever the importance of tackling the stigma around mental health and encouraging men to seek help earlier.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with a provider of mental health services to encourage men to speak up about stress.

Our joint plea with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) NHS Foundation Trust was made in support of Men’s Health Week, which took place earlier this month.

CWP is keen to engage with and positively influence men, as it provides a number of services that support people experiencing mental health problems, such as depression and stress.

Although it can be easy to dismiss stress as something everyone has to deal with, it can have a serious impact on your health and wellbeing, and talking to your GP can be the first step in tackling it.

We may refer you for talking therapies with a provider such as CWP, or point you to an online service like Mood Zone on NHS Choices, but sometimes we just listen and discuss ways in which you can better look after your mental health.

There are lots of ways we can take steps ourselves to improve things and everyone is different, so it’s important to find what works for you.

Some people find learning a new skill or getting involved in volunteering beneficial, while other simply need to take some time for themselves, or improve the quality of their sleep.

Need help now? If you need help or if you are worried about someone else, you can find immediate assistance via the following support services:

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)

A registered charity which exists to prevent male suicide in the UK

Tel: 0800 58 58 58 5pm – midnight

Samaritans

A national registered charity that is available around the clock to help anyone

Tel: 116 123 24hr (free)