In His Own Words

Jimmy Barnes

One of the biggest issues with mental health you know, I think particularly in my life, but everywhere, is that people don’t communicate. There’s a stigma attached to needing help.

I remember being on the top of the world, in a rock and roll band and feeling absolutely alone.

I never spoke to anybody about what was going on in my head, what I was going through emotionally. I always thought I had to do it on my own.

It was a bravado thing. I would beat my chest and say ‘you don’t need anybody’.

I’m tough. I can do this.

But I’ve got to tell you, that when I got to the point where, you know, I found myself hanging on the end of a rope… and I was so lucky. I’m so lucky to be alive that, at that point, I turned and I asked for help.

I spoke to some friends and I reached out for help.

I think that day is probably the most courageous day in my life. I felt when I finally had some courage, was when I reached out and asked somebody to help me.

Sometimes it’s the simple act of sitting and talking to your friends. If you see a mate, you know, having trouble, reach out to them.

I think a great way to share not only the good times in life, but the tough times in life is to sit down at a table, have a meal, and share a plate with a mate.

It’s a good catch phrase, ‘share a plate with a mate’ but it actually means a hell of a lot.

Sharing a plate of food with a friend or an acquaintance is a great way to tear down barriers. When you invite someone into your house for a meal, you’re not going to be fighting with them. You will find that you can talk a lot more freely when you’re sitting around having something to eat.

I mean sharing a meal is one of the ways that we as a family problem solve, celebrate, mourn, and do just about everything else. It’s a huge part of our life to sit around a table and eat and share food. So, you know, sharing a plate with a mate is a lot more than just a simple catch phrase.

I’ve played gigs all over this country and I find it unbelievable that we’re losing one farmer every ten days. That’s what that’s statistics are showing with rural suicide. It’s a tough job, it’s isolating. It’s really important that we reach out to all our rural friends. So share a plate with a mate and donate to the Black Dog Institute and help them save a life that’s perfect.

Jimmy Barnes

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