'I choose to recover out loud': Rhys shares his struggles to support Murrumbidgee men through dark times

CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses suicide and mental health issues.

In August of 2018, Rhys Cummins’ life was changed forever when a suicide attempt forced him to take stock.

The founder of the Murrumbidgee Men’s Group has dedicated the past five years to supporting men in Wagga who are struggling with mental health.

“I don’t shy away from what happened in 2018 as it has made me into the person I am today and drives my passion for mental wellness in our community,” he wrote in a social media post this week.

“I choose to recover out loud so that it may help someone else find hope and inspiration through their dark times.”

Rhys was one of three speakers at the recent Wagga Men’s Leadership Forum on domestic and family violence, telling his story and reflecting on the work of the Murrumbidgee Men’s Group.

“It was very powerful sitting in a room with so many other men that were eager to bring change in our community,” he reflected.

“I think they did a really good job of getting into the nitty-gritty of stuff and facilitating those open and honest conversations.”

Rhys is on the front line of supporting men through tough times and addictions and works with both victims of trauma and men who have been the perpetrators of violence.

“After my suicide attempt, I went through the recovery program in 2019 up at the hospital, and that was a big eye-opener for me,” he said.

“That was where I learned that I wasn’t alone and I learned so much off the other people in those programs and in the mental health unit.”

It was over a coffee with a mate that the Murrumbidgee Men’s Group was born.

“We had a chat about the real stuff, about what was going on for us and all the stuff that you kind of push to the back of your mind and not talk about,” he said.

“We just let it out and we thought, maybe we should open this up into a community setting and try and help as many men as possible that may be going through similar struggles.”

With strong community support, they launched with around 20 men at the original meeting and have continued to get together every fortnight at different locations around the city.

“I think our biggest strength is that we’ve been consistent and I think the fact that blokes know that we are there, and there is a safe place for them to come and talk,” Rhys said.

“We’ve got a really good core group of blokes that rock up and just want to better themselves and those around them so I think the strength of the group also comes from the men within.

Getting involved is as simple as keeping an eye on the social media pages or the website and then rocking up on the day.

“There’s no intake, there’s no paperwork, there’s no cost to anyone, we’re community funded and we put on a free barbecue,” Rhys said.

“It’s just a really good space for blokes to come for social connection, but also to have a vent and let some stuff out before it gets to that crisis point.”

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact:
Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis support line – 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800 or kidshelpline.com.au
MensLine Australia – 1300 789 978.