Look, I’m glad you took that off your chest. My point still remains and I won’t be shamed into silence. And no, it’s not your fault or any gender in particular. Hell, it is a problem of toxic masculinity, and both women and men are to blame.

I’m glad you care and please, keep caring. It does make a difference. Mentalities change one person at a time.

You talk about men “choosing” unhealthy ways to deal with pain and grief. I’m sorry, but you have no idea what it is to be a man. Your intentions may be good but you can never truly understand how lonely male existence is because you haven’t experienced it. Same way I can never truly understand what it is being put down and condescended for being a woman, among other things. I see it, and it troubles me, but I never experienced it. I’m not arrogant to pretend I know how it feels.

This is my experience being a man. When you fall apart and become vulnerable everybody runs. Repulse is the right word. You can feel the contempt when you show that weakness. Both in men and women. This isn’t a men versus women thing. I’m not talking about SO’s running away when we’re weak. While it does happen, in my experience a SO is one of the few people you can actually show vulnerability. That, family and, if you’re lucky, a few close friends. Beyond that, our society simply isn’t wired to accept weakness on a man. It’s not men’s fault, it’s not women’s fault, it’s the culture itself.

Can it be fixed? I don’t know. Either way, I feel frustrated by it and it’s my right to voice that frustration.