LGBTQI+ Mental Health: Promoting Resilience and Psychological Wellbeing

Looking after your mental health can be challenging for anyone. However, people from the LGBTQI+ community often face unique stressors because of layers connected to identity, acceptance (or lack of) and social pressures. This #PrideMonth I feel very aware of the difficult landscape #LGBTQI+ people are currently navigating, which is understandably having an impact on people's mental health and wellbeing. I hope this post offers support and practical strategies to navigate these difficult times.

Rainbow flag symbolizing LGBTQI+ pride and community support

Understanding the Mental Health Challenges in LGBTQI+ Communities

Members of the LGBTQI+ community often experience higher rates of mental health difficulties compared to the general population. This is largely due to:

• Minority stress: Chronic stress from social stigma, discrimination, and internalised negative beliefs (see previous blog post for more information).

• Rejection and isolation: Family rejection or social exclusion can lead to loneliness and low self-esteem.

• Barriers to care: Lack of culturally competent mental health providers and fear of discrimination in healthcare settings.

  
  

The distinct challenges associated with being LGBTQI+ can impact your sense of identity in society and complicate the process of finding suitable professional support when required.

If you read my blog regularly, you will have seen me ofter refer to human beings as inherently social beings. We are wired to connect, to belong, to feel accepted and loved. When layers of our identity get in the way, we may find ourselves trying to conform but ultimately losing our sense of self in the process, because of how society is reacting to aspects of our identity (e.g. being gay) or because of an internalised fear that people might not accept us for who we are.

Building Resilience Through Community and Connection

Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover from adversity. As much as being LGBTQI+ can pose additional challenges, LGBTQI+ communities are also full of resilience, creativity and strength, even when it might not feel that way.

So what can we do when things feel tough?

For many of us, building resilience often involves creating strong social connections and supportive environments.

• Find affirming spaces: Seek out LGBTQI+ community centers, support groups, or online forums where identity is respected and celebrated.

• Cultivate chosen family: Many LGBTQI+ people build close relationships with friends who provide emotional support when biological family is not accepting. This does not make up for difficult family relationships, but it can help you feel more of a sense of community and belonging, which goes a long way to support our psychological wellbeing.

  
  

These connections help reduce feelings of isolation and can provide a buffer against the challenges you may be facing in your individual circumstances.

Practicing Self-Care

Self-care is essential for maintaining mental health, especially when you are going through a difficult time. Sometimes it can feel impossible to look after yourself, when life is coming at you, but it is even more important during times of challenge that you are able to look after yourself starting from the basics.

• Establish routines: Regular sleep, balanced nutrition, and exercise support overall health. When we are faced with stressors, making sure we are eating, drinking enough, moving our body, getting a good sleeping routine can feel hard but it is important to prioritise these steps to create a good baseline and improve your ability to deal with the stressors you are facing.

• Set boundaries: Protect your energy by limiting exposure to unsupportive people or environments as much as you can. Instead, prioritise people who help you feel accepted and increase your sense of belonging.

• Move your body: if energy and motivation are low, it can be hard to think about physical exercise. If this is the case for you, it can be helpful to start from just moving your body. Go for a gentle walk to your favourite place, do some stretching, any small thing can make a difference.

Accessing Affirming Mental Health Care

Finding mental health professionals who understand LGBTQI+ experiences is crucial. When you feel that you don't belong or have had experiences where you have felt rejected, trusting the process of therapy can feel like a big challenge. A skilled professional will be able to discuss these worries with you and help you gradually feel more at ease and able to establish a safe therapeutic relationship where challenging psychological work can happen. It is important that the therapist can respect your identity and address your specific needs without judgment or pre-conceptions about what that means for you. I always start from a point of curiosity, because everyone's experience can be very unique and it is important for me to get to know the person I am working with so that I can understand your unique set of circumstances and experiences and develop a therapy plan that works for you.

Close-up of a rainbow-colored heart-shaped stress ball symbolizing LGBTQI+ mental health support

Recognise and challenge internalised stigma

Growing up in a society that often marginalsies LGBTQI+ people, can lead to you internalising the negative messages, which can then show up as negative/critical thoughts towards yourself. When this happens, practicing self-compassion can be a helpful strategy to reduce the volume of those thoughts.

• Notice the critical thought: what is it saying? Does it sound like someone who has been critical of you in your life?

• Where did this belief come from? Can you identify where you might have learnt this about yourself?

• Try to adopt self-compassion. It can be helpful to think "what would I say to a friend if I heard them saying those things about themselves"? Can you say the same things to yourself and practice these new, more balanced statements, once a day?

As you go by your day, try to adopt the strategy above regularly, by practicing self-compassion over self-criticism. This can help create new pathways where more positive beliefs can be reinforced, instead of the more negative / critical beliefs.

Final words

Whatever you may be going through, please remember that your identity is not a problem to solve. It is a beautiful part of who you are. You deserve love, respect and appreciation. The problem is with societal stigma and that is the thing to challenge and change, not who you are.

Remember that you are not alone. As much as it may seem that way sometimes, there are many people who care and are trying to change things.

Some days will feel harder than others. Looking after your mental health is very much a journey and can take time. Lean into people, activities and spaces that nourish you and reach out for professional support if you feel that managing things on your own feels very challenging at the moment.