Mental health challenges faced by queer individuals
According to a study, two out of every three queer individuals experience higher rates of anxiety and depression. The oppression and discrimination faced by them have particularly added to their mental health issues. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other self-identified queer (LGBTQ) youth are many a time forced to go into their shells because they are made to believe that they belong to a different world. They are forced to question themselves about coming out of the closet and if it will be the right thing to do.
There is also a general assumption that those who choose to stay in the closet are more susceptible to mental health issues than those who choose to come out. We talked to Richa Vashista, Chief Mental Health Expert, AtEase, who explained the challenges faced by queer individuals. She claimed that while the conversation around sexuality has helped conceal social stress, there is still a long way to go.
Common concerns by queer individuals
Richa Vashista reveals that the most common concern for people who are concerned in terms of their gender identity, or sexual orientation is coming out. She says, "Coming out is one of the very, very common concerns that come up. Whether it is coming out to a friend or coming out to your parents, or coming out at a workspace." She adds, "Many people have actually come out to me for the first time in life because they are scared of what the society would actually think about them."
Are those who chose to stay in the closet more susceptible to mental health issues than those who chose to come out?
Experts believe that it is better to leave the choice on them rather than 'asking' or 'encouraging' them to come out. Richa Vashista says, "It is their life and their choice. Whether to come out of the closet or if they want to stay in the closet, they have to decide."
She further explains that the mental health challenges they face do not depend on the choice of coming out they make but on the person that they are. "They make the choice only because they are feeling too much. Sometimes people who want to come out might be actually feeling pressurised, they have to live dual lives, which is why they decide to come out. However, a person who has chosen to stay in the closet might be feeling at peace because of the decision," says Vashista.
How to address mental health issues in different age groups?
"Because younger people have more exposure, there is so much more conversation around sexuality and gender among them. There is more awareness around LGBTQIA than there was years ago. The younger generation also has more access to the information that the older individuals. So that's why with people who are older, it is a little more difficult to work around sexuality and gender because they're a lot more rigid in terms of accepting and talking about it. A lot of people also experience something called internalized homophobia. What that means is that internally I'm not okay with the concept of somebody being gay, so hence, I cannot even accept myself so that's also a very common thing that comes up in therapy," says Vashista.
She adds, "The newer generation, the younger individuals, are far more aware of what they are and who they are. This might not have been the case 10 years ago."
Does cinema play a role in minimising social stress?
Lately, many queer individuals are coming out and also getting the due credit for their work in showbiz. On the other hand, Indian mainstream cinema has touched upon topics like lavender weddings, gay/lesbian love stories, and others in many films. Just recently, the trailer of Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar's film 'Badhaai Do' shed light on lavender marriages. Does this mean that society is ready to accept queer individuals completely?
Richa Vashista says, "The overall awareness has been increasing, especially through media representation which could help the cause. It does help people to get more of an idea or clarity around gender identity and it helps the queer individuals come out a lot more. But also, sometimes the representation is bad representation. It is a very glamorized version of showing the reality that is not what a gay couple is. So, cinema does help in trying to reach the audiences of India but it isn't really the best way to portray it."
When the family doesn't accept their orientation, what are the consequences they face in terms of mental well being?
Vashista explains that when queer individuals are not accepted by the family, there is a lot of mental health issues that affect them. "So for example, their sense of identity starts getting affected, they start questioning their own identity, because they're not getting the approval that they want from their family members. It starts affecting their self-esteem, it starts affecting the way they perceive themselves. Other than that, it also can lead to severe mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Because their identity is not being validated, their identity is not being accepted. So all of these issues are very strong factors that lead to mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. And it stays long term as well," explains Vashista.
How to deal with situations like these?
"A person who has symptoms or who are in similar situations, they should always look at going to therapy. As a therapist, we will try to address how we could work around the depression, how we could work around the anxiety, what are the triggers that are making them anxious? The trigger can be-- because my family is not accepting me, so nobody in life will ever accept me. This leads to low self-esteem. That is what we would do in therapy with such an individual, we would help them be independent and to accept themselves only after that they will be able to talk with a family member. It is important to be comfortable with one's own identity. And a lot of times we also try to tell them that just because your family is not accepting you does not mean nobody else will."
What are the first warning signs that a person should notice?
Richa Vashista explains that a person starting to have mental health issues may start to withdraw from everyone. The second warning sign is the mood fluctuations in people. They may suddenly get agitated or upset. If you notice that a person is crying more often than usual, it is also a warning sign. Or if their sleep or appetite is getting affected. So, these are some signs to keep in mind that if you notice these things happening, then you should absolutely seek therapy.
