A woman 'blames herself' for the death of her brother after he took his life two years ago.
Deborah Morgan, a detective inspector at Cheshire police's strategic public protection department, said the suicide of her brother Ross, aged 31, hit her 'hard.'
The 42-year-old said she had training in suicide prevention the year before her brother's death however she didn't spot any of the signs.
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She is now determined to stop other families being devastated by suicide and is raising funds for mental health charity Mind.
The mum-of-two said: "The circumstances of Ross’ death hit me hard.
"I’d had suicide training through work around a year before he died, but I never spotted the signs with him.
"This led to me blaming myself and feeling guilty for not doing more to help Ross.
"Those who know me will know I am usually a very resilient person, but the experience knocked me sideways. It was only through the professional help of an occupational health counsellor at Cheshire Constabulary that I was able to understand what was happening inside my head and get myself back on track."
Statistics show men are more likely to suffer in silence than women. This may be linked to the fact they are also less likely to seek help.
Three times as many men as women die by suicide, and it is the biggest killer of men under the age of 45.
Deborah, from Winsford, who has been a police officer for 15 years, added: "Woman are more likely to talk to friends, family members or professionals about mental health issues, but unfortunately men seem to see this as a sign of weakness.
"With the turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, in recent times it has been more important than ever to look after our mental health and seek help and support when we need it.
"I urge any man struggling mentally to reach out for that support. It's okay to not be okay."
The detective inspector has raised £1,980 for Mind after taking part in a cycling challenge to go 500 miles in five days.
The charity offers support to people with mental health issues to help them understand and address their feelings.
Deborah took part in the challenge with her friend Nikki Morley, 52, who lost a family friend to suicide after he took his own life at the age of 20.
Deborah said: "I got into cycling less than a year ago. Before that I used to just go to the gym and a jujitsu club, but the pandemic forced me to seek a different way to stay in shape.
"I turned to cycling and began to ride regularly with Winsford Wheelers Cycling Club, and I recently joined Weaver Valley Cycling Club.
"I usually ride around 30 miles three times a week. The requirements of the fundraising challenge were obviously a lot more than that.
"It pushed me and Nikki to our absolute limits, both physically and mentally, but nothing was going to stop us from completing the challenge."
You can make a donation to the charity via the JustGiving fundraising page set up for Deborah and Nikki’s cycling challenge.
Deborah added: "I would like to thank everyone who has made a donation so far.
"The JustGiving page is still live and all donations will be put to very good use by the Mind charity."
