How Can We Reduce the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health of the LGBTQ+ Community?
How Can We Reduce the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health of the LGBTQ+ Community?
By: Danielle Treen, April 27, 2021
PHILADELPHIA | I am a mental health advocate, and I will share my story along with ways to reduce the stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ mental health.
In 3rd grade, I realized I wasn’t like the other kids in my class. I was not outgoing, nor did I want to go to the board; I wanted to curl myself into a ball and not be noticed. While I didn’t know I was showing signs of anxiety, or even know what anxiety was at the time, I knew it wasn’t normal. I couldn’t speak in front of the class without my palms sweating and my heart racing.
Now, at the age of 19 I can firmly say getting help was one of the hardest yet best things I could’ve done for myself. Healing is not linear, and some days are worse than others, but seeking help has allowed me to grow into myself and become the person I always knew I could be. Managing anxiety symptoms can be hard, and sometimes I feel embarrassed over silly things, but with perseverance and someone to talk to I am lightyears better than I could ever be without help.
According to the World Health Organization, mental health illnesses affect one in four people, which amounts to be 450 million people worldwide. Mental Health America concluded that in the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community alone, 39% of people have reported having a mental illness which amounts to 5.8 million people. Not only can these mental illnesses be burdensome, but they can weigh people down when they don’t seek out the proper help.
Oftentimes, appropriate help isn’t sought after for fear of being judged or talked down to. This fear typically comes from the stigma surrounding mental health and the LGBTQ+ community, but it can also come from past negative experiences. Mental Health America states “LGBTQ+ individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights.” Facing disparities such as the ones listed above can cause an individual to cease looking for help and can worsen their mental health.
While seeking help may seem daunting, it is clear that one must seek help when their mental illness is taking over their life. The Mayo Clinic suggests asking a medical professional for help if you notice a change in your eating/sleeping habits, mood swings, or if you’re experiencing an inability to cope with everyday problems.
The University of Michigan’s Eisenberg Family Depression Center strongly encourages people to share their own mental health stories with others. Not only can you help yourself heal from your struggles, but you can help others understand they are not alone. The negative perception of mental health illnesses generally leaves many people feeling alone and helpless; talking about your personal experiences can help others feel like they aren’t going through it by themselves.
Speaking out about mental health issues is one of the best ways to reduce the stigma surrounding it but educating yourself and others can have a huge impact as well. The Eisenberg Family Depression Center states that “education is the most powerful tool you can use to counter any shame you may feel about your mental illness and to make sure others know what mental illness is (and isn’t).” Educating yourself and others allows people to better understanding mental illness while simultaneously removing the negative connotation that comes along with the words “mental illness.”
In the newspaper, The Frederick News-Post, author Ed Waters Jr. writes about a training program to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, “the Mental Health Association of Frederick County will offer a mental health first aid course.” Taking steps like joining a first aid course to be educated on signs and symptoms of mental health illnesses also reduces the stigma.
The information offered in this course is vital to everyday life as Amy Thompson, the director of human resources and administration for mental health first aid, states, “individuals are more likely to encounter someone with a mental illness than one having a heart attack… More than one-fourth of the population has a diagnosable mental illness… that could rise to nearly 50 percent in the future.”
Some people may believe that people will seek out help if they want it, but this is not true in all cases. In the LGBTQ+ community, feelings of being discriminated against and unfairly treated can stop one from seeking help. Just because an individual isn’t comfortable seeking help does not mean they do not want help. Similarly, one can be discouraged from getting help when they feel afraid to come clean about their symptoms due to fear of being judged.
Many people may believe the stigma surrounding mental health is not able to be reduced, especially in the LGBTQ+ community; however, using the above techniques will help spread a much more positive connotation surrounding mental health illnesses. It is likely that people believe educating or talking to one person will not cause a big impact, but one person has the ability to start a chain reaction. One domino can knock down a whole line, and if you think of the one person as the domino, the chain reaction becomes obvious. One person can educate another, who can, in turn, educate 50 more people; there is no limit as to how far one person can reach. It may take years of conversation and education, but the stigma surrounding the mental health of the LGBTQ+ community can be reduced, and that could save somebody’s life.
Comments
Post a Comment