Sexuality: Heart and the Mind

Content Warning - Discussion of mental health, violence and suicide present

The State of Mental Health

The modern age has began to allow individuals to live in their own skin without feeling judged, the ability to proudly present your sexuality has never been more available with movements and foundations such as the LGBT Foundation presenting information and offering support to those in need. The problems which have plagued our society such as inequality and judgement still exist but are now being called out and shown for what they are, this also extends to online harassment where words are now being given a face and despite the potentially toxic nature of cancel culture the threat existing has certainly led to an improvement.

The increased awareness towards mental health is encouraging with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, and more receiving greater attention than ever before and with increased coverage leads to society becoming more knowledgeable and understanding towards these issues and with it being shown that mental health can have a drastic effect on physical health such as heart issues more are becoming concerned. This has led to individuals getting the help they need through therapists, family, and friends, yet despite this those who consider themselves LGBTIQ+ are still more likely to suffer from these issues.

Attack on the System

It has been reported that half of all members of the LGBTIQ+ have experienced some form of depression compounded by the fact that one in eight members of the community have considered suicide, anxiety is also shown to have a higher prevalence with three in five suffering. The case of why has many reasons but the fact remains that some are still unaccepting of change and lash out as a result resulting in hate crimes such as the attack on York city's first LGBT night out leading to three getting hurt, this type of activity scares some away from interacting with society and isolation leads to loneliness. Loneliness creates an environment where mental issues fester leading to serious situations.

A community where someone can feel safe and included is the most effective way to stop these issues from occurring, a safe space where individuals can interact and despite traditionally feeling ‘different’ can now feel a part of something. This trend has grown with more and more events now being inclusive to all but the aforementioned hate crimes are still seen with one in five who classify as LGBT experiencing this along with the recent surge in both events and hate crimes in the UK. A space where individuals can relate to others about their issues is incredibly important since despite non-LGBTIQ+ being able to relate they may not truly understand the depth or intricacies of the issues at hand, this is remedied by those who are present and available.

A Path Beyond

The future for mental health within the LGBTIQ+ community is currently stagnant despite the rise of specialised counsellors and the aforementioned safe spaces, this can be solved by many means but all underlie the both increased awareness to the plights which will lead to a larger amount of intolerance to offensive behaviour. The movements for LGBTIQ+ rights and awareness have grown and more countries have legalised gay marriage, things such as this shows that people suffering with their mental health are being fought for and that the future is hopeful.

Technology has also allowed people who suffer with anxiety and other issues to communicate with other LGBTIQ+ individuals which is a huge positive and it can help negate the effects of loneliness. These communities can be highly moderated to prevent harassment and other offensive behaviour to allow people to discuss their problems despite it being online. This presents interesting possibilities allowing people in the future to initially discuss their problems online if they feel intimidated by talking to people they know in real life. This can act as a healthy starting point to those wishing to better themselves.