Eat some food.
Take your meds.
Take care of yourself.
You are valid.
You are loved.
These (or similar) are words you hear a lot from the LGBTQA community.
And there's good reason for it. Many queer folks have had traumatic experiences (warning, heavy topic, includes mention of sexual assault, assault, and suicide, especially in the links within the article) that have left them with cases of anxiety, depression, and other medical conditions that they have a hard time handling on their own.
So, a lot of kind and wonderful people make it a point to post these reminders regularly.
And really, who hasn't needed a reminder for something in their life?
I'll break each line down into why I think they're important:
Drink some water
It's pretty easy to get dehydrated if you're not careful, and drinking water has plenty of health benefits.Eat some food
This helps keep you going. It's also important for those who have blood sugar issues to keep up their mood and energy level.Take your meds
If you have a mood disorder, it can be easy to forget to take your medication, including some that helps you to keep living! Many Queer folks use medication to improve their quality of life.Take care of yourself
Self-care is an important thing to do. Take a day off, read a book, listen to some music, seek help from others, professionally or otherwise. These are all important steps to take regularly in life.You are valid
Too many people in the LGBTQA community get told they are "just going through a phase" or "that's not natural". Letting people know that you acknowledge them for who they are can pick someone's day up.You are loved
This one is probably the most important one for me (and something I should say more often). People are deserving of love just by being. No one should be excluded from that, but some people in the LGBTQA community have been hurt by those who should be closest to them.Finally, if you or someone you know are having struggles, please reach out. These may help (USA-Specific):
1-800-273-8255 - Suicide Hotline
877-226-3111 - Addiction Hotline
844-228-2962 - Eating Disorder Hotline
877-455-0628 Self Harm Hotline
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/ (for those who don't like phones, or can't call for whatever reason)
