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In a series of profiles, we at MQ Mental Health Research would like to introduce to you some of our wonderful MQ Ambassadors. Representing our charity organisation, our ambassadors help to spread the message of what MQ does, why mental health research is so important and lend their voices of lived experience expertise of mental illness.
MQ Ambassador Tommy Hatto, who is also an actor and mental health campaigner, chatted to us to share his experience of mental health conditions and why he became interested in MQ Mental Health Research.
Tommy, thank you so much for chatting with us. Firstly, what are your interests and favourite things about being alive?
My interests include surfing, hiking, travelling, cooking and exercise. My favourite things about being alive are getting to be in nature and being present, spending time with loved ones and cherishing every moment that I am breathing.
Could you please give us a summary of your lived experience of mental health conditions?
I grew up seeing myself as inferior to every other guy. I wanted to be lean and in shape like them, as I thought that was the body type society and my environments wanted me to be. This led to a lot of negative body image issues on how I saw myself as well as experiencing eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, muscle dysmorphia). Even venturing into the entertainment industry, I still experienced the body image issues as I was constantly comparing my self-worth through the validation of others.
When did you first experience symptoms of mental health distress? And what were those symptoms?
I started being insecure around my body shape and size during a trip to visit my family in Thailand. Naturally, people in Asia are of slimmer builds so when I would get unintentional comments that I was bigger, I started being more conscious around how I looked. Coupled with the fact that I would watch TV shows depicting the popular guys as the guys who were in shape and had good bodies – I started feeling pressure to be like them. I was in a period of self-loathing and hating my appearance.
What do you understand about the causes of your condition? Although my own experiences of eating disorders was triggered through negative body image, I want to reiterate that not all eating disorders are because of negative body image issues. There are many eating disorders that can be triggered through other mental health conditions or traumatic circumstances, so it’s important to highlight that.
So when it comes to public perceptions, what stigma have you faced?
Unfortunately I have faced the stigma that someone working in the entertainment industry or deemed ‘conventionally attractive’ can’t have body image issues. I don’t see myself in that way and have never seen myself that way growing up. I understand when people say that, but my job shouldn’t detract from how I see myself. Being transparent that anyone can experience these types of feelings helps to steer the narrative that there is no thing as perfection.
What misconception are you most annoyed by about your illness?
The misconception that body image issues are a feminine trait. It’s simply not the case. Every single person on this planet would have felt inadequate or unhappy with the way they look at some point in their live. Men’s mental health has a stigma attached to it already, but body image even moreso.
It’s important for anyone with mental health distress to know help is available. How did you access help for your conditions? What have you found helpful and why?
Hearing people share their stories and having access to mental health organisations have really helped me. It took multiple trips to the GP to finally get some sort of understanding and acknowledgement around what I was going through – even if at the time, I was in denial myself.
Do you think your conditions have shaped who you are as a person? If so, why?
Oh definitely. It’s completely shaped who I am the journey I’ve been on. It’s taught me to be kinder to myself, but also to be more resilient.
The biggest lesson I learnt, which I probably wouldn’t have if I did go on this journey, was around holistic wellbeing and health. I sent a lot of time understanding how to be the best version of myself through how I look after my body. After experiencing an eating disorder and seeing how poorly I looked – that was the catalyst to understand health in a different way – how nutrition and exercise can benefit me and my body, not just from an appearance point of view.
What have you noticed about other people’s mental well-being in recent years?
The pandemic was very damaging for people’s mental health in regard to body image. We were constantly on our phones on social media because we couldn’t do anything else, so then you are presented with images of people in great shape, working out and looking generally amazing. TikTok also become the beast it is through the lockdown. It’s no wonder there was a surge in calls to mental health helplines around body image for those aged 16-24.
Sometimes people might think recovery is a straight, dependable linear line of progress. When you look back at your mental health experience, how would you describe your ongoing journey of recovery or of challenges?
I’ve always called myself a work in progress in all aspects of my life. I haven’t reached the end of my journey, and it’s something I’m still navigating at the moment. I’m in a better place but still navigating. If I was to draw my journey out on a piece of paper, it would look like a squiggly line which goes back left to right, up and down and just round in circles so it’s moving slowly forwards all the time.
Now to look ahead to the future. What needs to change in society when it comes to mental well-being or mental illness?
The stigma around body image and eating disorders in men. It’s the reason I campaign to heavily is to showcase all different types of stories, including my own so people can resonate and know they aren’t alone in their feelings. I think the media and society can be more transparent around body positivity in all genders.
What role can education play in the future of mental health?
Education needs to change fundamentally. There needs to be more focus on life skills and wellbeing through nutrition, exercise and mindfulness. When you put your wellbeing at the forefront, you naturally set yourself up to be in a place where you can absorb information and knowledge better.
How did you get involved with MQ? Why did you become an ambassador for us?
I wanted to get involved with MQ because I’ve seen the incredible work and campaigning they have done on men’s mental health and felt that our purposes were aligned. Collaborating with MQ has been truly positive in pushing out the agenda to de-stigmatise body image issues in men.
What is special about MQ?
MQ do fantastic work and research on mental health conditions – really putting in extensive work to bring new ground-breaking research to the forefront to improve lives.
Our thanks to Tommy for sharing his story, highlighting just why research matters for mental health and why the work MQ Mental Health Research does must continue.
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