One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as an LGBTQ -affirming therapist who specializes in gay men’s identity is how much minority stress continues to cause clinically significant negative health outcomes for LGBTQ people.

I’ve also learned that fostering resilience is directly linked to a decrease in symptoms and maladaptive coping mechanisms.

Research shows the most common mental health disorders often experienced in the LGBTQ community are

Depression and anxiety are 1.5 times higher in LGBTQ individuals than in heterosexual individuals. Further, there is a higher likelihood of mood and anxiety disorders among LGB people compared to heterosexual individuals. Research also shows LGBTQ individuals have rates of substance abuse two to three times higher than the general population in the United States.

An important distinction to make is that most of all the “disorders” researchers found among LGBTQ people are connected to trauma. We cannot fully address gay men’s mental health without exploring trauma.

When we think of trauma, most of us think of rape, murder, death, a catastrophic event, or a natural disaster. And while these are unequivocally traumas, a trauma is also experienced as a daily microaggression, such as homophobia, bullying, and time spent in the closet. Any child who has experienced the closet has known shame—and shame........

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