Cost of living: ‘People don’t want to say how much they’re struggling’

Paying for your living expenses is hard, but dealing with it mentally can be even harder.

It’s a topic that haunts people who attend a men’s group in Craigavon, County Armagh, every week.

One of them, David Cooney, sums it up: “People don’t like to say how much they’re struggling.”

Fortunately, the Health in Mind (HIM) group provides a forum for David and others to talk.

We offer board games, exercise space, hot food and drinks, and an atmosphere where people can let their worries go.

“You don’t want to tell someone you don’t know that you’re having financial troubles at home,” David says. “Sometimes some groups ask me how I’m doing, but it’s really nice here because we can just chat.”

Figures released by the Mental Health Foundation on Wednesday revealed that 34% of adults in Northern Ireland felt worried about their personal finances in the last month.

For young people aged 18 to 24, this number rises to 57%.

For David, the key to the success of HIM Group, organized by local charity Fitzone Foundation, is providing a comfortable and friendly space for people to unload their belongings.

“You’re sitting comfortably, you’re warm, you’re not worried. There are many people who are worse off than us.”

Tony Campbell is also part of the HIM group. He is concerned about mental health and rising prices.

“You don’t know where it’s all going to end. You ask, ‘What are you going to do?’

“You have to worry about that. Especially when everything is going up and not going down. You worry about that all the time.”

But he said it’s essential to get out and meet people.

“You can’t just sit at home all the time trying to stay warm. It also affects your mental health.”

But with the coldest winter yet to come, Tony recognizes the situation could get even worse for many.

“Everyone’s in the same position. Maybe we’re too quick to judge where people think it’s okay and where they don’t.”

Robin McGeone told BBC News NI that some people were afraid to talk about it because they could not afford to see prices continue to rise.

“This is not a light-hearted story. People think they are poor and can’t afford it. People are buying less all the time.

“When I go to buy groceries, everything goes up. It’s getting out of hand.”

Gordon Owens suggested Pride meant people were “coming to the fore” about their mental health.

“You can wear an extra shirt or coat jumper to keep you warm, but you’ll still need it at the end of the day, and you’ll still have to pay for it.

“People may feel that their pride has been hurt by disclosing their struggles, and that may be why they don’t do it.

“That’s why we come to places like this. It’s like a stress reliever. It takes your mind off of everything else.”

Isolation is also a big problem. According to a report by the Mental Health Foundation, 19% of people see their family and friends less often because they don’t have money.

David Cooney found that rising costs are making people less sociable than they used to be.

“If you have to drive somewhere, you think, ‘How much will it cost to drive to A or B?'”

“You’re saying, ‘I’m not going there.’ I’m not going to go out socializing or go out to eat or go to a cafe.”

Men’s groups can help with that.

“We spend half a day here because we know it’s nice and warm, especially at this time of year. It comes with tea and scones and breakfast, so it keeps costs down,” he added.

Fitzone Foundation project coordinator Sean Collins said mental health suffers when people worry about feeding themselves and their families, but speaking up can help.

“We know that talking improves mental health, and the men here do it often. It’s great for men to come out here and talk about their problems. It’s amazing,” he said.

But as a charity, we need funding to facilitate the 100 or so people we take part in each week through a variety of projects.

“We are doing our best to meet as many needs as possible,” Sean said.

He added: “Men need to go out and talk. But when you talk, you just talk to people. And if you’re having a problem, just talk to someone.” .

Karen Hall from the Mental Health Foundation said more work was needed at government level.

She says she worries that people aren’t going out to see family and friends as often as they used to. Reducing heating usage. I can’t even eat as much as I want.

“Nutrition is also a big part of our mental health, and not getting it can have an impact.

“We have short-term solutions, but we need long-term solutions. To start determining what we can do to really reduce poverty levels here and ease the financial burden. We need a sustainable government, a stable government. It’s stressful for people.”