North Canterbury News: June 18, 2020

NEWS
14 North Canterbury News, June 18, 2020
What’s your view on:
Aproposal to modify the
resourceconsentprocess
for work on the reinstatement
of Christ Church Cathedral
Ask for help
... Bryon
Cope says
it’s OK for
men to ask
for help.
PHOTO: DAVID HILL
The resource consent process can be modified under the
ChristChurch Cathedral Reinstatement Act 2017 (the Act)
by an Order in Council (Order)made by the Governor-General.
Beforeafinaldecisionismade to recommend the proposed
Order to the Governor-General,the Act requires it to be
testedrobustly. Thisincludes seeking your feedback on
an explanation document that sets out:
• anexplanation of what the proposal is intended to achieve;
• adescription of the proposed effect of the Order; and
• an explanation of why the Minister considers that the Order
is necessary or desirable for the purpose of the Act.
Let us know your views on the explanation document
The document can be viewed and written comment made online
at www.dpmc.govt.nz/cathedraloic
Also,they areavailable on request from Christchurch City Council
service centres and libraries and the main officeofSelwyn and
Waimakariri DistrictCouncils duringnormal business hours.
Anyonecan make awrittencomment but they must
be received by: 5pmMonday,22June 2020.
DPMC0106Comm
Bryonsteps up
to help others
By DAVID HILL
Asking forhelp andgettingtheright
supportare the biggest challenges for
men struggling with mental health.
Rangiora’s Bryon Cope has battled
mental health issues his whole life and
has devoted the last 15 years to helping
others.
‘‘Thenumberone thingthatcomes to
mindistheinabilityfor mento askfor
help.Alot ofmenwho I’veworkedwith
havealimited vocabulary when it comes
to feelings, so they may become angry.
‘‘It’s OK to be angry; it’s what you do
with it.There’s afineline between
getting angryand appropriately
expressing anger.’’
Bryon says finding someone to talkto
is noteasyasfewpeople‘‘aretrained
aroundlistening’’.
A barrierfor men seeking help is a
lackof menworking in themental
healthsector,whichcan potentially lead
to an expressionofanger beingtaken
thewrong way.
‘‘Theangercan becomethe issue, and
notwhat theman is actuallythere for.’’
Earlier this year, Bryon spoke at the
Mental HealthFoundation conference,
with justfourmen amongagroupof35
professionals coming to listen to his talk.
‘‘Iasked themto think of asecretthat
no­one knows and tellit to someone in
the room that you don’t know.
‘‘None of themwanted to do it,soI
said:‘that’s howitmaybeformen when
they are askedtotalk when seeking
help’. Howdo you talk aboutsomething
that you don’t have avocabulary for?’’
He advises those seeking help should
‘‘shop around’’ to findsomeone theycan
developarapportwith.
‘‘You never buy the firstpairofshoes
youtry on in ashop.’’
After15years working in mental
healthand addiction, Bryon
experienced bullying and suffered a
breakdown last year,spendingtimein
hospital. Hecontemplatedtakinghis
life.
Before his breakdown,Bryon sought
❛You can do all the right
things and still get unwell.
It’s amatter of picking up the
warning signs before you hit
the bottom of the bell
curve.❜
—Bryon Cope
help from key people whom he trusted.
‘‘Ihadtoacknowledge my dietwas
rightandIwas doingthe fivewinning
ways to wellbeing,but somethingwas
stillmissing.SoIwant to let people
know. You can do all the right things and
still get unwell. It’s amatterofpicking
up thewarningsignsbefore you hitthe
bottomofthebellcurve.’’
Bryonis no strangerto struggles with
mental health, as ‘‘a lack of positive role
models’’ led to him drinking and
smoking dope from the age of 12, until
making aconscioussuicide attempt at
age29.
‘‘I hadlots ofunconscious attempts
likedrink­driving,caraccidents andlots
of risk­taking behaviours.’’
His story appeared on season two of
Nigel Latta’stelevisionseries, The Hard
Stuff.Hehas alsospoken at twoWorld
Suicide Symposiums in Christchurch.
Bryon is on asickness benefitwhile he
recovers from last year’s breakdown, but
has started to volunteer with the
DepressionSupport Network.
‘‘I’m gettingstrongerevery day. It’s
about doing the small things —small
things matter. Routines are important. I
make sure Ihavebreakfast every
morning; Igosomewhere public so I’m
not isolated. Idosudokuand Ijustneed
to be gentle with myself.’’
He says recovering from abreakdown,
is ‘‘like learningtowalkagain andit’s
notgoingtohappen overnight’’.
‘‘Justdon’tgiveup every time you
bang yourheadorfall over. Andmake
sure you seekthe help youneed.’’