LGBTQ Mental Health Challenges: The Struggle of the LGBTQ+ Community

It is very sad! We are going backwards in time! Recently, the LGBTQ community worldwide has been under the target of many life-threatening & obscure government policies. With Uganda’s harsh measures of the death penalty to curb its gay population to India’s same-sex marriage plea, to Tennessee passing an anti-drag bill, there is a lot of threat to the LGBTQ+ community & LGBTQ mental health. This blog will address the importance, challenges, and resources you can use to feel safe, wanted, and free from any stigma. While reading the blog, we will be touching on sensitive LGBTQ mental health topics like suicide, self harm, depression, eating disorders. Please proceed to read only if these topics don’t cause any trigger to your mental health.

Why is LGBTQ Mental Health Important?

It is the need of the hour to understand and recognize the community of LGBTQ+ and mental health. Irrespective of your sexual orientation & identity, it is important to note that many governments, policies, and cultures still have stains of homophobia & discrimination against the LGBT community. It is important to reiterate that LGBTQ Mental Health matters and deserves valid attention. Spreading awareness & educating people about LGBTQ Mental Health will further create a diverse, inclusive, & non-discriminatory society. Social evils like homophobia, bullying, hate crime, etc., will drastically drop. Moreover, people will learn to be more acceptable of other communities & people who belong to different cultures. But reality paints a completely different picture; there is little to less understanding about the LGBTQ+ community and mental health due to a lack of awareness. On a daily basis, people from the community endure a lot of trauma, pain, & bullying, which leads to the development of mental health problems. 

Understanding LGBTQ+ Mental Health

Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, does not mean that you will have to face the wrath of mental health challenges, but a dozen of them go through mental health issues due rejection, bullying, harassment, etc. While accessing the different LGBTQ mental health challenges, we have also presented some numbers and statistics to testify the gravity of the situation. Here are some of the commonly LGBTQ+ mental health challenges faced by the minority: 

1. Anxiety & Depressive Disorders

For a majority of LGBTQ+ youth have no choice, but to live in fear. Anxiety disorders are more prevalent among the LGBTQ+ community than the general population. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, LGBTQ+ individuals are two to three times more likely to experience anxiety disorders compared to heterosexual individuals. The high prevalence of anxiety disorders among LGBTQ+ individuals can be attributed to the stigma, discrimination, and prejudice they face. These experiences can lead to a chronic state of stress, which can trigger anxiety disorders. LGBTQ+ individuals also face additional stressors related to their gender and sexual identity, such as coming out as L and lack of legal protection, which can further exacerbate anxiety symptoms. 

2. Suicide 

Nearly half of LGBTQ Individuals have had a crossing thought of putting an end to their lives or considered suicide as their last resort. Accordingly to various studies, LGBTQ youths are five times more prone to attempting suicide as compared to heterosexual youth. These figures are alarming and depict the necessity of having LGBTQ+ mental health resources and the extent of mass homophobia & rejection that goes around globally. If, in any case, you might feel helpless, try consulting a therapist or reaching out to someone you trust should be your first step.

3. Self- Harm

A lot of LGBTQ+ Individuals carry a large amount of shame & guilt upon themselves because of societal stigma & homophobia. Shame is an intensely painful feeling that is unworthy of love and belonging. This sense of shame bursts out as negative actions like self harm, as most LGBTQ people are shamed for their sexual orientation, isolated, or rejected by their family & friends. A 2019 study found that LGBTQ+ youth are nearly five times more likely to report self-harm than heterosexual youth. It is important to remember that shame can be navigated with much better coping mechanisms than harming yourself.

4. Substance Abuse

A fair per cent of LGBTQ individuals are victims & survivors of substance abuse, the topic of substance abuse is usually swept under the rug compared to other LGBTQ+ mental health problems, but it is important to shine a light upon this issue too. Many LGBTQ+ youth turn to narcotics & alcohol to suppress their negative thought patterns and emotions caused by outside discrimination, homophobia, & social stigma. Some common substance patterns like binge drinking, marijuana, tobacco, opioids, & heroin are found to be most used in the community. According to eye-opening statistics and research by SAMHSA, it has been estimated that LGBTQ+ youth are 2-4 times more susceptible to substance abuse and addiction than heterosexual youths. 

5. Eating Disorders

Disordered Eating is a very common & prevalent LGBTQ mental health issue that has engulfed and battered the younger population. According to many research studies, most LGBTQ+ youths suffer from eating disorders like Bulimia Nervosa, Obesity, & Anorexia Nervosa. Even though the triggers to such disorders can result from excessive bullying, homophobia, abuse, alienation, PTSD and highly emotional stress-causing incidents, it is shocking to see that eating disorders also stem from “inside discrimination” within the community. LGBTQ youth are pressured to conform to unrealistic beauty standards like “healthy looking, muscular, butch, thin”, for people who cannot settle into these narrow beauty standards face the bane of eating disorders. Moreover, a concerning projection of 14% of trans youth has shown signs of eating disorders as compared to the general population, which is 1-3%. To conclude, Eating disorders are a concerning LGBTQ mental health topic, which has extreme physical & mental health repercussions, so getting help & the right treatment should be a priority.  

6. PTSD

PTSD, also known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a gruesome mental condition experienced by individuals who go through or witness a traumatic event; people who have survived or witnessed trauma are likely to suffer from flashbacks, high anxiety, & emotional turmoil, which hampers their daily routine. Unfortunately, 30% of LGBTQ individuals have been chained to the effects of PTSD due to long-held trauma from bullying, discrimination, harassment, ostracization, or rejection which is  5X more than the 6%  heterosexual population that suffer from PTSD. It is very important to understand LGBTQ mental health problems, as awareness of these issues will lead to finding better support and mental health resources.

LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources

Even with so many hurdles & challenges like homophobia, social stigma, and mental health issues permeating through the LGBTQ+ community, it is always a sigh of relief to know that there is no shortage of “right help” & “right resources.” Here are some useful LGBTQ+ Mental health resources and LGBTQ+ support that will make you feel “inclusive” & “included”:

1. Support Groups 

Growing up, LGBTQ+ Individuals are subjected to feelings of loneliness, being alone or judged. By allowing yourself to be a part of a support group, you can open up to people who have been through similar experiences, feelings, worries, etc. A support group is usually fostered on the values of understanding each other, helping others by sharing your story, & hustling towards a common goal. Many organizations make an effort to bind and support LGBTQ+ individuals. Some notable LGBT mental health support groups include The Trevor Project, PFLAG, Stonewall, The Kaleidoscope Trust, etc. All these organizations & groups are built from the ground to promote well-being & advocate LGBTQ rights. Most of LGBTQ Mental Health issues stem from a lack of understanding, Check out our blog Understanding Gender Identity: A Beginner's Guide for LGBTQ & educate yourself about the community.

2. Therapy or Counseling 

Therapy can be a great tool for LGBTQ+ individuals to navigate relationship with themselves/ people around them, learn more about their identity, coping strategies, & address mental health problems. There are lot of online LGBT mental health therapy programmes that offer services of specialized therapist who understand LGBTQ+ community & provide free or low discounted fees. According to a study published by Journal of Counseling Psychology, it was observed that LGBTQ+ Individuals who receive gender affirmative care in the form of therapy, showed drastically low signs of depression & anxiety. To conclude, with Carl Jung’s golden wise words “The principle aim of psychotherapy is not to transport one to an impossible state of happiness, but to help acquire steadfastness & patience in the face of suffering”. 

3. Online Resources

"Educating & learning about yourself first, is the one step closer to acceptance." Around the world, there are only a handful of people who are privileged enough to get access to therapy, support groups, etc. Some LGBTQ+ individuals are questioning, closeted or have wrong notions about their identity. For such individuals,  LGBTQ mental health online resources can be a great way to get some clarity. Humans demand clarity whenever we are unsure about a certain issue; being in disbelief only causes stress, emotional turmoil, anxiety, & sense of incompleteness. In the era of high technology, the Internet is the best place to gain some clarity. There are a lot of online communities and websites like Advocate for Youths, Trevor Project, Genders & Sexuality Alliance, & Q chat space that proves to be the benchmark for educating yourself. Moreover, you can also tune yourself to different podcasts, LGBTQ personalities, & interviews to help understand yourself better through others' experiences. Did you know that London is one of the safest cities for LGBTQ+ individuals? Check out our best LGBTQ clubs and hangouts in London.

In conclusion, most LGBTQ individuals who educate themselves, learn, understand, & take proper resources, have shown traits of resilience, build supportive relationships and communities, & have higher self-esteem. Make sure you check bizarre LGBTQ myths debunked through logic & science