Men are regularly excluded from spaces of empathy, reflection, and healing. And when people consistently feel rejected or dismissed or treated with contempt, they’re forced to go elsewhere to feel seen and heard.

Perfectionism is something I’ve struggled with my whole life, but I never considered myself a perfectionist. See, I never felt like I needed things to be perfect. I simply felt that the world demanded perfection from me, and in fear I acted accordingly.

The gifts of independence can only do so much to counteract the emotional toll of isolation.

If I’m not actively being affirmed, I am worthless. If I’m not being reassured that I have value, I must have none. There is no safe moment inside my own head except for the ones when somebody else is telling me I did a good job.

The anxiety was no longer coming from something recognizable, from one or even many sources — it came from everywhere.