The Unspoken truth

Virginia man’s documentary broaches a topic never before addressed on Irish television

This Thursday RTÉ will screen a documentary by Virginia’s Alan Bradley examining the true life experiences of men with eating disorders. Following on from the well received Seán Boylan documentary, Alan’s latest work looks at an issue that is widespread in contemporary society.

“In general eating disorders are stigmatised,” Alan tells the Celt, “but for men that’s even more so and, because of that, men just don’t come forward.”

This is not the first time the director, actor and producer has explored themes of mental well-being in his work. Alan’s play ‘Grounds for Concern’ was an examination of the way stress can encroach on mental wellbeing.

His latest documentary ‘Unspoken’ gives voice to the crisis of eating disorders in Irish men. It also highlights a public system failing those who turn to it for help.

The Virginia man’s documentary broaches a topic never before addressed on Irish television. It recounts the story of three men - Cormac, Eoin, and Daniel. They speak out to share deeply personal and troubling experiences.

“Making the documentary I learned a lot of misconceptions people have about eating disorders, misconceptions I had too. The assumption is that people have to be very thin and emaciated to be classified as having an eating disorder. The fact is that 85% of people with eating disorders are not underweight. They way we assess eating disorders are quite inaccurate. The film shines a light on what an eating disorder is, so people can come forward and say they are struggling,” Alan said of the documentary.

One in four people with eating disorders are male. “It’s more prevalent than we think,” Alan tells.

“It’s hidden. Men don’t come forward. Often times, if they are getting treatment, the people around them don’t know. If we talk about bulimia, people immediately think of very thin teenage girls, which obviously is a major issue, but you would never think the lads in the film have eating disorders.”

‘Unspoken’ brings together the stories of three men battling eating disorders. Cormac is a 28-year-old former Dublin minor hurler. In the programme, he is at crisis point and begins to take the first tentative steps towards reaching out for help.

Daniel, a 25-year-old recent law graduate from Mayo, struggled to get the help he desperately needed due to a lack of eating disorder services available in the West of Ireland.

Eoin, a 38-year-old, self-described “ordinary guy”, whose journey to an eating disorder began with a “health-kick” before quickly turning much darker.

Alan explains that male eating disorders are hidden for one simple reason: “People don’t know what to look out for, because they don’t know what it is.”

The director has been working on this documentary for over a year now: “It has been a long journey. I reached out on social media, I spoke to Bodywhys: The Eating Disorder Association of Ireland. They helped me make contact with men willing to speak. I waited for men to contact me. We finally settled on the three lads who were comfortable enough, and brave enough, to show their face and tell their story.”

Bodywhys: The Eating Disorder Association of Ireland has seen the number men seeking help through its services more than double in 2021. Despite this, it still remains a largely hidden, silent issue.

Through the intimate and highly emotional stories of the men, Alan has uncovered the often stigmatised world of eating disorders and the major challenges facing those seeking treatment in the Republic of Ireland.

The documentary also gets the views of Dr Michelle Clifford, the Clinical Lead for HSE National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders and Dr Kielty Oberlin and Eating Disorder Specialist.

Unspoken dispels commonly held misconceptions and challenges stereotypes to provide a space for a broader, deeper understanding of this most misunderstood condition. It explores the impact of modern masculinity in Ireland and gives voice to those who have previously been left unheard.

Alan says that the issue is becoming even more relevant since he started working on the project: “The figures coming out now show that since the lockdown there are more and more people coming forward, both men and women. The system is not equipped to cope. There are not enough beds, there are not enough places for people to get help, there have been a number of failings by the HSE to deliver appropriate care. This means that, when people do seek help, there are not many options available to them. It is getting better, but slowly.”

Unspoken was directed by Alan Bradley and produced by Chris Vaughan for Alleycats Films. Executive Producers for Alleycats Films are: Des Henderson and Ed Stobart. Executive Producers for RTÉ: Clíona O’Leary and Paula Fahy.