Mental health of LGBTQ People!

[Sam4Life]

Why do LGBT people seem to have more mental health issues than straight people?

 

[jenn]

LGBT people are indeed prone to mental health problems because, whatever the straight world may claim about tolerance and equality, the world still seems “set up straight” to many LGBT people. It’s still a struggle to be who you are and be reasonably open and honest about it. There’s still a lot of prejudice (you don’t have to spend long on Facebook or social media to witness that).

Gay people are often bullied, marginalized, passed over, or made to feel inferior. Every time some dumb-ass tells us we’re going to hell, it’s like a small body blow. Every time some evangelist tells us that gay people cause floods, famine, or worse, it’s another body blow. Every time someone equates us with paedophiles, it’s another. And this happens ALL THE TIME.

Imagine how it would feel to be on the receiving end of all that. It’s enough to give anyone mental health problems. Add to that physical violence, threats of rape, religious bigotry, and the like - it’s pretty toxic, and you need to be quite self-reliant. And you learn to rely on other gay and gay-friendly people for support and affirmation because you have to.

But I’m not sure that LGBT people are more prone to mental health problems than straight ones. I’d like to see the statistics on that. In truth, I think we’re all prone because it’s a cruel world, and our sexuality doesn’t make us immune from cruelty.

 

[kellybelly]

There are two factors to consider. The first is that up until very recently, being gay or lesbian or trans usually meant facing intense discrimination. You could be arrested, sent to prison, tortured in camps (called conversion therapy), fired from your work, denied health care, or exiled by your family. In many places, this is still happening.

This is bound to cause some stress, depression, and anxiety in someone. Secondly, the way to deal with this systematic persecution and oppression has traditionally been to hide your identity. To live two lives. Your public life, which conforms to societal expectations, and private life. Your true self. The term in American English is to live ‘in the closet. This has also been shown to cause immense psychological damage.

If anything, given all that we have had to endure for so many years, I am amazed that so many of us are so healthy, so optimistic, and so well-adjusted. That so many of us have found true life partners and built loving, stable family relationships. It is a sign that the human spirit is so strong.

 

[DebMonts]

Not being accepted by one is detrimental to one’s health. Several studies have shown that depression and suicide attempts are significantly lower among LGBT youth who are accepted and not bullied than those who face rejection and are bullied. Among trans youth, for instance, accepted trans youth have a 4% chance of attempting suicide whereas rejected trans youth have a 21% chance of attempting suicide.

 

[Honeyclover]

From my experience, it is because of constant mistreatment and having to pretend to be someone else. As a gay teen, I've dealt with a lot of flak for being who I am. Worse yet there is the constant risk of being disowned by people we thought we could trust. At least from my experience, it is at least a lot of unjustified mistreatments from mostly misinformed or people who have a pack mentality that causes a lot of LGBT+ people a lot of mental anguish that can build up to becoming mental issues.

 

[heather]

Because many continue to face discrimination, bullying, violence & ridicule. Many gay teens face abuse & bullying at school. Homophobia is a big issue in schools & sadly in some families as well. Studies have found that LGBTQI people face up to twice as much violence and prejudice as straight people. Even in churches, which are supposed to accept all people, they face discrimination and sometimes a lot worse! That’s enough to push anyone to depression and mental health issues.