Below is a letter I wrote to a long-time friend of mine; he moved upstate a couple of decades ago and we lost touch for a while.

I wanted to share it with you all as well. I guess I feel the need to reach out right now; to not feel so alone. And if someone else out there feels anything like I do, then I hope they can get something out of this too.

I don’t know. But it doesn’t hurt to try. 🤷‍♂️

_{Trying is about the only thing right now that doesn’t hurt.}

I appreciate you man.

Some days/weeks are harder than others. Last night, and earlier today, has definitely been difficult. It shouldn’t have been, but it’s been two years this month since [my ex] and I decided to split; well, she decided, and I went along with it without much of a fight. 10 years ago, give or take, my dad died. My brother was being his usual ass self, and just couldn’t leave me alone, and we got into a fight. That was the last time I saw or spoke with my family. My kids, [my ex], and her family were the

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/47404500

I did not even expect to hit 10 subscribers total to be honest. I hope this community can be a helpful and positive experience for everyone. I know I have felt alone at so many times in my life and felt I had no one to turn to. I have been SO lucky to have a wonderful brother without who I probably wouldn't be alive today. But I know some people aren't lucky enough to have that support. And it's clear so many men feel this way too in this world, and they end up finding role models wherever they can.

Unfortunately they have been in some horrible people lately. I started this with the idea of people just coming together for a common cause - to have a space to talk about the sensitive topics that many may not want to or cannot talk about with their real life people, to get perspectives and support from other people who have been in similar situations, and to hopefully make life a little less shitty for everyone in the process. Thank you everyone for being willing to take part in this wi

This video brought up for me the absolute sameness of what is marketed as men's clothing and acceptable forms of self-expression

I'll vent a bit here to get started. When I was 15 I was sexually assaulted by a woman and no one would believe me. Or if they did believe me, it was the "well what's the problem, was she ugly or something?" Usual spiel. I still have PTSD over this but I cannot speak of it to anyone because it's the same shit over and over again. When I was 16 my girlfriend put out her cigarette on me for the first time. This would continue for the next year and a half before I managed to leave her. I still have over a dozen scars inflicted by her.

I have an EXTREMELY hard time trusting anyone or forming attachments in general because of what's been done to me and I really don't have anyone to talk to about it other than my brother, who went through his own physical. When I was 21 I got into a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship and I let that go on for three years because I had been conditioned into thinking that it was normal, and I had to just "man up" and take it in my previous relation