for my male identifying peeps <3

edit: this is not to negate women's mental health or make one more important than the other because both are equally important :) i didn't know what to blog about today but men's mental health is a subject i care about very deeply so i want you all to feel seen, heard and understood <3 i want to start by saying this bluntly, i am not a man and this is not my story to tell on behalf of men but it is something i care very deeply about. there seems to be a lack in support for men's mental health, and there needs to be more space, more compassion, and a lot less silence. this is a subject i care very deeply about because i had a male family member take their own life, and i wish at the time there was more support for men's mental health because he could very well be here today. many men are taught growing up on how to endure, not on how to express their feelings. to be strong, and dependable. somewhere along the way, their emotions become something they have to manage alone or just ignore completely which is why not many men speak up. let me tell you, emotional pain is not less valid simply because we can't see it with our eyes. struggling doesn't mean that you are weak, and needing help doesn't make anyone less worthy of respect. you don't need to have the "right words" all the time to deserve support. remember that you are not alone <3