A suicidal recluse at 43 but now Andy Caine is on a 900-mile mission to save lives through connecting with men

A man who set off last week on a walk from John O'Groats to Land's End (Jogle) says that his journey has "only just begun and it’s lifelong".

Andy Caine (45) set off from the iconic fingerpost at John O'Groats last Tuesday morning on the 900-mile journey in which he will hook up with various men's mental health groups across the UK.

"As I walk the length of the country, everywhere I stop I hope to hold or attend a men's group where we can share our experiences, our troubles, our joys in life," he said.

Andy hopes that at each stop along the way "a life can be saved through the connection of other men" and he spoke to service users at the Caithness Mental Health Support Group (CMHSG) and the Caithness Join In More (JiM) men’s group, a strand of the Listening Ear Project. He spent time with Chris McKenzie from CMHSG who showed him the Stepping Stones Centre in Thurso, explaining what a vital role that it plays within the community.

CMHSG and Listening Ear gave Andy a good send off from Groats and when he made it to Wick he visited The Haven, a drop-in centre for people struggling with mental health issues. Davie Snashall, one of the Listening Ear project officers, was on hand to further explain how the JiM men’s groups operate at Stepping Stones and The Haven, highlighting how the purpose-built centres offered the perfect environment for them.

Andy shared his own story with the men at the special pizza evening event in Wick and gave some techniques to improve mental wellbeing and thoughts through breathing techniques and other anti-anxiety practices. The evening was a huge success with the entire group grateful for Andy’s time and for sharing his experiences and expertise.

Davie Snashall from Listening Ear said: "The evening was even more poignant, with a small private toast and tribute by those that knew William Munro, the very first JiM member at Wick, who sadly passed away recently, with his funeral earlier that same day."

While on his Jogle walk, Andy hopes to connect with as many men’s groups as he can and aims goal to raise funds and awareness of men’s mental health and suicide prevention. The warts and all testimony he shares on social media shows the difficulties he has faced and how he has overcome those through various methods and techniques.

"Three years ago the realisation hit me that I was in an unhappy marriage, a job and work culture that was pushing me towards burnout, a distinct dissatisfaction with who I was, happiness tethered to material possessions and titles and a purposeless direction in life," he says.

Andy said that Covid was the final ingredient for the “burnout perfect storm” and he found himself without a job and living with his parents at age 43 after having divorced his wife and being estranged from his children due to lockdown restrictions.

"My usual motivation, confidence and positivity was at an all time low as symptoms of depression started to deepen with suicidal contemplation. I became a recluse even to my own parents in their house. I retracted from all of my friendships. Feeling isolated in the shame and guilt, like nobody else in the world would know what I was going through."

Luckily, Andy had a friend who helped motivate him every day through mindfulness, breathwork, yoga, journalling, nature, exercise and other practices that helped cultivate self-belief and happiness.

"Establishing my clarity of purpose and how I needed to show up for myself and others as a man and father was my new mission in life and my pathway to my recovery.

"The collective meeting of other men sharing deeply vulnerable experiences in a safe, non-judgemental space is extremely powerful and liberating. They are a crucible for the cultivation of mature masculinity, in the form of healthy communication, self awareness, presence, clarity and purpose. Something society needs from men, solid role models in this generation and those to follow.

"My journey has only just begun and it’s life long."

You can follow Andy on the following links:

His fundraising page www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/passage-of-men

On Instagram at: www.instagram.com/passageofmen/

Listening Ear services can be reached by telephone at: 07529 248763 and by email at: davie@cvg.org.uk

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