If Your Circle Says “Nah,” Find A New Circle

This episode explores how social support shapes mental health for Black trans masculine folks and Black trans men, moving beyond crisis response to everyday thriving.  The podcast offers a clear definition, two self-assessment questions, and practical ways to build aligned, reciprocal networks.

• mission and focus on Black transmasc folks and Black transmen’s mental health
• definition of social support and why it matters
• two questions to assess current networks
• shifting from crisis-only help to thriving support
• choosing affirming people who uplift goals
• reciprocity, consistency and staying connected
• fill out this questionnaire to measure support levels

Addition social support questions:

1. Family Support:

• How would you describe your relationship with your family? (close, distant, strained, no relationship)
• Do you feel comfortable discussing your gender identity and mental health with your family? (Yes/No)
• Have you experienced rejection or discrimination from your family due to your gender identity? (Yes/No)

2. Friend Support:

• How many close friends do you have?
• Do you feel comfortable discussing your gender identity and mental health with your friends? (Yes/No)
• Do your friends provide emotional support, practical help, or information related to your gender identity and mental health? (Yes/No/Don’t have any friends)

3. Community Support:

• Are you involved in any LGBTQ+ communities or organizations? (Yes/No)
• If yes, how does involvement in these communities impact your mental health? (Open-ended)
• Do you feel supported by the broader Black community? (Yes/No)

4. Overall Support:

• Overall, how would you rate your level of social support?  (very poor, poor, acceptable, good, very good)
• What type of support do you find most helpful? (Open-ended)
• Are there any specific support needs that are currently unmet? (Open-ended)

The podcast was based on research found here.  If you want to get into the technical aspect of social support, click the link.

Also, share, listen, follow, subscribe to the podcast, and continue to discuss mental health with other black trans masculine folks and black trans men

If you are suicidal or suffer from suicidal ideation, call TransLifeline 877-565-8860; Black Line 800-604-5841; Trans Lifeline text 313-662-8209; The Trevor Project 866-488-7396

Chapters

• 0:10 Mission And Focus
• 0:52 Why This Platform Exists
• 2:40 Social Support Defined
• 5:06 Two Questions To Self-Assess
• 7:42 From Crisis To Thriving
• 9:27 Choose Support That Lifts You
• 11:20 Reciprocity And Staying Connected
• 12:22 Build Aligned Networks
• 13:50 Measure Your Support Levels
• 15:34 Support The Podcast

Transcript

Solomon: 0:10

Welcome to the Band of Brothers Mental Health Podcast with a focus on the mental health and well-being of black transmasc black Trans men, and black trans joy. The podcast is a mix of solo episodes focusing on the mental health and well-being of black trans masc and trans men. Interviews with black trans masc and trans men. Sharing their mental health journey. Tips for improving their mental health and well-being, their mental health struggles, and how they are overcoming them. And also interviews with mental health professionals, therapists, community health workers, organizations trained in and focused on gender affirming mental health care. The podcast was started because 60% of young black trans masc consider suicide according to a research study by the Trevor Project. And 45% of black trans men consider suicide according to the Williams Institute. When I'm questioned or receive pushback, on why I am just focusing on black trans masc, trans men, I cite these two statistics. The podcast will also talk about the importance of peer support groups like Band of Brothers to foster mental health and well-being through social support for black trans masc, trans men, and what that would look like. The podcast encourages getting gender-affirming professional mental health care from a licensed gender-affirming mental health therapist and participate in peer support groups like Band of Brothers. The podcast does not provide mental health care nor diagnosis. The podcast does not condone ostracizing nor isolating those who are diagnosed and or suffer from any form of mental health conditions. The podcast strives to be a safe and healing space. The podcast is educational, provides tips and resources to improve mental health and wellness. The topics the podcast covers may be triggering. Therefore, listen at your own discretion. If you are suicidal or suffer from suicidal ideation, call TransLifeline 877-565-8860. Black Line 800-604-5841. Drive Lifeline, which you can text at 313-662-8209. And or the Travel Project 866-488-7396. Hey, welcome to the Band of Brothers Mental Health Podcast, focused on the mental health and well-being of black trans masculine folks and black trans men. I am Solomon, your host, and this episode is going to be about social support. But before I continue, I want to give a shout out to new listeners in Marietta, Georgia, Los Angeles, California, Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Illinois, and Ashburn, Virginia. Welcome to the community. I'd also like to shout out our current community in the ATL, Philly, Vegas, Smithville, Virginia, Washington, Virginia, Boerman, Oregon, Austin, Texas, Albany, and Brooklyn, New York, and Hamburg, Germany. Appreciate you. Also, share, listen, follow, subscribe to the podcast, and continue to discuss mental health with other black trans masculine folks and black trans men. Now let's get into it. The definition of social support is advice, guidance, understanding, practical help, encouragement, affirmation, and positive feedback we receive from a network of family, extended family, chosen family, friends, love relationships, community, churches, religious organizations, professional organizations, civic political organizations, clubs, social events, gatherings, and support groups. I will place in the liner notes the source of this definition so you guys can do further research on social support if you choose to. Now I'm going to ask the listening community two questions. The first question is when you need advice, guidance, understanding, practical help, and encouragement, do you have the necessary social support networks and place? Question number two. If the answer to the questions are no, little, very little, or somewhat, then you need to think about how you can improve and shore up your social support networks because your mental health and well-being depends on it. These two questions are very, very important to answer because it will help you to see where you are at your level of social support. And we really need to know, really need to think about how much social support do we really have. Do we really have it? Do we have enough of it? Do we have social support? But we but do we need social support in other areas? So please really take the time out to um answer these questions and really think about it. Because social support is very important uh for your mental health and well-being. And I believe that the reason why a lot of us struggle with our mental health is because we don't have the social support that we need. Either the support the social support we have isn't adequate or we don't have it at all. So please really take the time out to um answer those two questions and determine where you are as far as having uh social support. And if you do have social support, determine if it's effective and really meeting your needs. Social support networks helps you thrive, not just survive. Social support networks not only helps us in crisis, they help us thrive by one, improving our quality of life, two, improving mental and physical health, three, encouraging us to be confident in who we are as black trans masculine folks and black trans men. A lot of time as black trans masculine folks and black trans men, we're so focused on survival. Usually we we lean on our social support when we in a crisis, whether it's mental crisis or financial crisis, crisis with our housing, you know, we try to seek social support for that. But we also need to determine if our social support networks are encouraging us to be the best version of ourselves. Is our social support encouraging us to reach our goals? To help us to help us be better persons, to help us uh be better in the community in which we're a part. So if our social support, we have a social support circle and they negative all the time, and then when you try to think about, you know, you want to do something better with your life, and they'll be like, oh, I don't know, man, I don't know about , that's that's not the social support that you need. You know what I'm saying? So you need to get rid of that. You know, you want social support with people who thrive and and want to do better in their lives. They're not only encouraging you, but they're also trying to thrive and do better for themselves as well. So we need to, you know, think about social support not only as far as when we need mutual aid or help with testosterone and um information on gender affirming care and surgeries, those things are important. You know, but you know, we're more than that as well. We also need social support to help us, you know, when we're thinking about starting that business or writing that book, or starting that nonprofit, or getting that certification, or getting that promotion at that job. You know, we need we need social support to help us to strive and say, yeah, man, you can you can you can do that nonprofit. Yeah, man, you know, you can um get that certificate. Yeah, man, go ahead and apply for that promotion. You know, we need that type of social support as well. And social support networks are just not for you, it is for those connected to you and in your network. So give the support you want and receive. This improves the mental health and well-being of all who are connected to you. A lot of times, the only time we're looking for social support is if is is when we're in a bind. Or when we in crisis. You know, so we we only think about social support when it comes to us. But what about providing social support other folks? Also remain connected to your social support network. Don't nobody want to hear from nobody. The only time they hear from you is when you're struggling. But when you're doing fine, don't nobody hear from you. And that's not fair. You know, so it's important that we continue to interact with the people um in our network. Give them a call, see how they're doing. You know, see what they're up to. You know, encourage them. So, you know, the same, you know, you know, the same thing that you want to receive, you know, is it's uh reciprocity. So you're supposed to be giving as well as receiving. So that's what I mean with social support, it's just not for you. It's for everyone around you. As well as for yourself. So it should be reciprocity, it should be interconnectedness and interdependence. Again, social support networks are crucial for our mental health and well-being. They not only help us survive a crisis, they also help us thrive because they support and reinforce who we are as black trans masculine folks and black trans men. And I mean positive reinforcement. It should positively reinforce who we are as black trans masculine folks and black trans men. If you don't have a social support network, or your current social support network does not exhibit the qualities that we discussed in this episode, or should I say that I discussed in this episode, then step out and try to connect with other black trans masculine folks and black trans men who share your values and beliefs and build healthy support social support networks with them. Go to social events gatherings whose audience represents and affirms you as black trans masculine folks and black trans men. Join organizations that support you and help you, and only allow people into your social support networks who want to thrive, not just survive. If you want to further measure your level of social support, you can fill out the questionnaire in the show notes. It will tell you if you are getting a lot, some, little or no social support. I really encourage you to fill out that questionnaire, to show and to see where you are as far as social support. Where you might need more of it, where you you might find out that you your social support network is on point. You know, but you also might find out that you do have a decent social support, but you may need other social support in other areas as well. So I really encourage you guys to fill out that questionnaire to determine and really evaluate where you are as far as your social support networks. And encourage you to build them. So, you know, you know, building social support networks can be, you know, can be a daunting task, but it's worthwhile. You know, if you really want to improve your mental health and well-being, you know, if you really want to build friendships, if you really want to build community, you know, we really need to be thinking about social support and how we can incorporate it into our lives so we can't be mentally healthy and whole. Now I'm going to talk about how you can support the podcast. You can financially support the kind podcast as a listener or a subscriber. If you enjoy listening to the podcast and you find out that your mental health and well-being is improving, and you're thinking about improving your mental health and well-being, I'm asking you to uh financially support this podcast as a listener or a subscriber, but only if you feel that this platform is valuable to you. The Band of Brothers Mental Health Podcast is produced, written, and edited by Trans Men in Search of Media. Music is also created by Trans Men in Search of Media. May it continue to improve, grow, and strengthen. Thank you for listening.