I saw the above meme the other day. It's unfortunate how true this message rings.

Depression isn't an On or Off type of symptom. (I'm not saying depression is like autism don't take it there) Like autism, I believe depression is a spectrum... there's "I don't have enough cash to go to lunch today" depression, to "I'm miserable and feel useless goodbye cruel world" depression.

There's a wide variety of issues that can lead a man into the rabbit hole of depression, but in today's societal standards men aren't "allowed" to talk about it. Sure we have to deal with the repercussions of the events leading to it, but we cannot express how much the situation grinds our gears, wears us down, and breaks us apart. We HAVE to be the head of house, the team leader. We have the broad shoulders to carry the weight, because we're MEN, that's what we do.

It's a double edged sword society has put in our hands, because they want us to keep moving on in the midst of the issues we bear, and when it all comes raining down, so much that we cannot fathom taking anymore, we explode outwardly, with anger or violence, we're labeled dangerous, with our "toxic masculinity" another label slapped across our faces. Or we implode, ending things the only way we have figured, the only option we feel we have left, suicide. Then we're labeled selfish, and rhetorically asked "why wouldn't he talk to us"

So dudes and dudettes..... STOP.... stop teaching your boys societal norms that are so dangerous to us. And START talking about stuff that ails you. Be open from when your children are young, and teach them that it's ok to open up. Society doesn't give a single crap about YOUR feelings, so take that in consideration when restraints are put on you, that they won't accept themselves.