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Man Down Not Out: How to Be Positive, Keep Going and Cope
If you’re juggling work, kids, bills and pain — and wondering if you can keep going without losing yourself — this book is for you.
I’m a full-time worker, father of four, and a busy dad who’s never been out of work despite living with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and long-term depression. I’ve been on medication for 25 years. I know what it feels like to sit at a desk with your head in your hands, and I also know the stubborn, everyday work of getting up and showing up for your family. This book is the honest, practical companion I wish I’d had when things were hardest.
This isn’t a clinical textbook or feel-good fluff. It’s a toolbox — a plainspoken, real-world set of tactics, templates and small rituals that fit into a life that’s already full. I share what’s helped me keep techniques to steady your mood, simple ways to protect your family financially and emotionally, short practices to reclaim time for yourself, and clear steps to manage both physical and mental pain. Everything here is designed to be doable between shifts, after school runs, or during a 20-minute lunch break.
Inside you’ll
Honest first-hand A candid account of living with chronic pain and depression while working full time and raising four children — the realities, the hard choices, and the small wins.
Real routines that fit a busy 5-minute morning check-ins, micro-rest breaks, and a weekly non-negotiable slot to protect your energy without guilt.
Financial and family planning made Step-by-step budgeting basics, an emergency-fund plan, protective steps (insurance, wills) and scripts for family conversations that actually work.
Pain management you can start Safe first-aid steps, pacing and graded movement strategies for chronic pain, ergonomics for desk work, and when to escalate to professional care.
Mental-health How to recognise warning signs, build a relapse-prevention plan, navigate therapy and medication conversations, and use peer and professional support effectively.
Worksheets, checklists and A weekly wellbeing plan, budget sheet, pain-flare checklist, conversation prompts, and an action plan you can use right away.
Real prompts for hard Short scripts for discussing stress, money, time-needs and health with your partner, kids or employer — because asking for help is a practical skill.
Why this book It’s honest about limits and long-term conditions, and it’s unapologetically practical. If you’re exhausted by platitudes and eager for things that actually fit around work and family, you’ll find methods you can try tonight and refine over the next month.
Who should read this
Men living with long-term health conditions who still want to be present for family and work.
Busy fathers and full-time workers who need compact, usable tools.
Partners and relatives who want to understand and support someone living with chronic pain or depression.
Anyone wanting a grounded, no-nonsense guide to balancing responsibility and self-care.
A note on safety and I’m not a clinician, and this book isn’t a substitute for professional medical advice. It does, however, help you recognise when to get help and how to ask for it.
I’m a full-time worker, father of four, and a busy dad who’s never been out of work despite living with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and long-term depression. I’ve been on medication for 25 years. I know what it feels like to sit at a desk with your head in your hands, and I also know the stubborn, everyday work of getting up and showing up for your family. This book is the honest, practical companion I wish I’d had when things were hardest.
This isn’t a clinical textbook or feel-good fluff. It’s a toolbox — a plainspoken, real-world set of tactics, templates and small rituals that fit into a life that’s already full. I share what’s helped me keep techniques to steady your mood, simple ways to protect your family financially and emotionally, short practices to reclaim time for yourself, and clear steps to manage both physical and mental pain. Everything here is designed to be doable between shifts, after school runs, or during a 20-minute lunch break.
Inside you’ll
Honest first-hand A candid account of living with chronic pain and depression while working full time and raising four children — the realities, the hard choices, and the small wins.
Real routines that fit a busy 5-minute morning check-ins, micro-rest breaks, and a weekly non-negotiable slot to protect your energy without guilt.
Financial and family planning made Step-by-step budgeting basics, an emergency-fund plan, protective steps (insurance, wills) and scripts for family conversations that actually work.
Pain management you can start Safe first-aid steps, pacing and graded movement strategies for chronic pain, ergonomics for desk work, and when to escalate to professional care.
Mental-health How to recognise warning signs, build a relapse-prevention plan, navigate therapy and medication conversations, and use peer and professional support effectively.
Worksheets, checklists and A weekly wellbeing plan, budget sheet, pain-flare checklist, conversation prompts, and an action plan you can use right away.
Real prompts for hard Short scripts for discussing stress, money, time-needs and health with your partner, kids or employer — because asking for help is a practical skill.
Why this book It’s honest about limits and long-term conditions, and it’s unapologetically practical. If you’re exhausted by platitudes and eager for things that actually fit around work and family, you’ll find methods you can try tonight and refine over the next month.
Who should read this
Men living with long-term health conditions who still want to be present for family and work.
Busy fathers and full-time workers who need compact, usable tools.
Partners and relatives who want to understand and support someone living with chronic pain or depression.
Anyone wanting a grounded, no-nonsense guide to balancing responsibility and self-care.
A note on safety and I’m not a clinician, and this book isn’t a substitute for professional medical advice. It does, however, help you recognise when to get help and how to ask for it.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 9, 2025
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