Geelong mates Jim Abbott and Dayle Johnson on mission to destigmatise men’s mental health

A Geelong man has shared how he overcome a mental breakdown after the loss of his parents. Now, Jim Abbott and his mate Dayle Johnson are hoping to destigmatise mental health through a new live stream series.

Two Geelong mates Dayle Johnson (left) and Jim Abbott are tackling men's mental health. Picture: Brad Fleet

Two Geelong mates will combine their passions of cooking and mental health in a new live stream series to destigmatise uncomfortable conversations.

Disability support worker Jim Abbott, 37, and psychologist Dayle Johnson, 34, are showing their communities how important it is to have open discussions around mental health.

Mr Abbott started his social media page, DadKitchen, in 2021 during peak lockdowns, live streaming his cooking and sharing recipes.

“I was living in Melbourne at the time and we were in full lockdown,” he said.

Mr Abbott’s live streams slowly progressed into open conversations around mental health with his viewers.

About six years ago, Mr Abbott said he had a “fork in the road” moment after losing his mum, dad and brother in the last 10 years.

“I dealt with each loss differently,” he said.

“I had what I would call a mental breakdown.

“I had a really good job but I hated going to work and my passion for life was gone.”

Jim Abbott. Picture: Brad Fleet

Dayle Johnson. Picture: Brad Fleet

Mr Abbott quit his job and enrolled in a community service and counselling diploma, a career change from his work in hospitality management.

“It really changed my attitude and the way I view discussions around mental health,” he said.

“It has shaped me into the person I am today.”

The pair said most of their friends weren’t comfortable openly talking about mental health.

“It’s sad, there’s no shame to it,” Mr Johnson said.

“We want to try to create a space for people to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

“If we can be a drop in the ocean in creating change, sign me up.”

The pair will host their first livestream together on Saturday.

“Our mission is to be relatable, realistic, normal blokes who sit down and have conversations and potentially have an impact on someone,” Mr Abbott said.

“I want them to feel like they can talk to their partner or their parents or whoever it may be and say ‘hey, can we have a quick chat?’”

Mr Johnson said: “After listening to our conversations, I want them to know they are not alone.”

The pair are also hoping to set up an in-person clinic to teach basic cooking skills, provide access to mental health support and information about the importance of exercise.

They are hosting the live stream on the DadKitchen Facebook page on Saturday at 3:30pm.

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month.

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.

Originally published as Geelong mates Jim Abbott and Dayle Johnson on mission to destigmatise men’s mental health