Mental Health among LGBT Individuals - Essay Example

Mental Health among LGBT Individuals Mental Health among LGBT Individuals LGBT are initials used to represent the community of homosexuals in the society. They represent the four sectors of the community lesbians, gays, bisexuals and the transgender. The population of LGBT can be traced back many millennia ago where literature and records imply their existence. Remarkably, the LGBT population was accepted in the traditions of many nations with many prominent members of various societies being active members of the community. The emperors of China and Japan are recorded to have had one or more same-sex lovers. Love life in the early times is depicted as having a general tolerance to the desires of an affair. France is noted to have been the first state in Western Europe to remove the sanction placed on homosexuality, 1791. It is important to note the existence of a mental condition, which hinders one from realizing their true sexual orientation, thus leaving them thoroughly confused. This mostly occurs at the youth stage where one is most vulnerable to the influences of the world. Derald Wing Sue and David Sue (2013) describe the struggle by for individuals who realize that the expected social norms are not in line with their internal thoughts and feelings on the subject. Communities with Similar Predicaments There are groups set out in the world ill-equipped to handle the name-calling, bullying and numerous other offences that are dished out to them. Physical violence is not unheard of for anti-‘something extremists who believe the world would do better without the smaller minorities (Saewyc et al., 2006). Israelites were highly discriminated by the Nazis in the era of Hitler; the black Americans have had a long history of discrimination before they were finally accepted. These are only a minor fraction of the numerous discrimination cases that can be exemplified for the benefit of the context. However, the common factor that stands out is their devious behavior to natural norms and lack of conformity. This makes them easy targets for wrong-minded individuals who believe that they are supposed to be the predominant group. Recognition of LGBT In most countries, the LGBT community has been accepted legally. However, facts on the ground indicate that there is a sort of cold war between them and extremist who refuse to accept them regardless of law. This creates a stigmatized community with little to no voice depending on the location. Despite proof of the community having existed in the society for as far back as millennia BC, the human nature seeks to root out any irregularities in the system. These are the deviants and those who seem to show less conformity to the systems of the community they live in (Nadal, 2013). Indeed, a problem needs to be focused on by national and international policy makers. The discrimination of the individuals in the group describes the acts of rebuke against them in addition to any impact the offence might have on them physically or psychologically. The most common form of discrimination is shown in the environments, which relate to contact with particular extremists. For instance in the service industry where there is a need for politeness and friendly interactions. In addition, random violent confrontations are common in some parts of the world where a known member of the group is picked up for harassment. A research done by a 17-member committee under the authority of the National Institute of Health (NIH) (2011), records that there are more reasons for a gay or lesbian woman to be discriminated. They cite historical facts and events as a major factor determining the behavior of individual towards a member of this community. Discrimination and Microaggressions Discrimination According to the UN human rights, definition of discrimination, is very broad and cannot be pinned down to one specific phrase. The four definitions that are accepted are as follows exceptional treatment, comparison to equal cases, objectivity and justifiable reason plus the existence of a proportionality of the means from the aim (Wouter, 2005). Examples are discriminations of ethnic groups, genders, races and or sexual orientation. Microaggressions are unique to themselves because they exist in shadows. To the eyes of a stranger, it is difficult to pin them at their occurrence. Notably, discrimination is almost natural to the person doing discriminative. The small signals and red flags are; avoidance of contact at all cost and maintenance of minimal social interaction. This mostly leaves the LGBT member confused and unsure thus continues to seek attention from the individual exercising the microaggressions. The uniqueness of this form of discrimination is that one is left questioning themselves and not the other way around where the discriminator is questioned for their lack of tolerance (Scout, 2013). In an instance, one can pick up the psychological implications of this form of discrimination. The discriminated party will exhibit signs of introversion just all other discrimination cases as well as withdrawal from the world, that is, the social world. As Davis and Stevenson (2006) notes in the case of Black discrimination, there is a wide range of effects on the individuals being discriminated ranging from introversion to irritability and guilt. All these are experienced at the cost of not conforming to social standards of color in the case example and gender orientation for the case of the paper. Microaggressions In the introductory paragraphs, it has been mentioned that discrimination might arise because of the historical events that planted stereotypic thought in the minds of individuals. Mental health has to deal with the absence of any ailment of the mind and a psychological wellbeing. As it follows from the observations, a conservative team included homosexuality to the list of mental disorders. Therefore, the LGBT community is placed in danger of open stigmatization by the society. Meyer (2013) says that there is the high occurrence of mental disorders in LGBT group than any other. This can only be attributed to the stigmatization of this group by the society because of prevalent thoughts of wickedness or wrongness of existence. Meyer further explores the groups that fought over the reasonability of the classification of homosexuality as a mental ailment. The result of the arguments ended in 1973 with the removal of this article from the manual of mental disorders for the nation. The extent at which the conservatives had gone in the medical field indicates that there was though that the LGBT was more susceptible to mental disorders than most. Clearly, the community of LGBT is not placed in high regard like the rest of the society (Nadal, 2013). Such accusations are not likely to trigger open discrimination but rather hidden discrimination; these are attuned as the microaggressions. It follows that further eroding of the mental wellbeing of the discriminated individuals continues. Rothman, Exner and Baughman (2011) show the victimization cases of gay and bisexuals based on their sexual orientation. This follows up from the discrimination process as described above that it goes further to the identification of individuals for harassment. Substance abuse is the use of substances of addictive nature in a manner that is not prescribed or expected. The overindulgence in alcohol and other drugs is considered as substance abuse. Largely, substance abuse by LGBT is like an escape path from the society where the ‘high keeps the individuals happy and in good moods (Nadal, 2013). However, there are other uses of drugs such as cocaine and crack, which are used by some LGBT individuals to lighten up their moods and for increased sexual arousal. This implies that substance abuse is not only a form of depressant but also an erotic form of addiction. However, the purpose the most prevalent reason for individuals in the LGBT community to indulge in the abuse of substances is depression and other social factors that belittle their value of life. In the progressive discussion set forth by this paper, it has been established that the effects of discrimination and microaggressions are not limited to substance abuse. Introversion has been mentioned, dissociation and withdrawal from society are common mechanisms that are employed by identified members of LGBT community (Riggle & Rostosky, 2012). These mechanisms sometimes lead the individual’s development of false personalities that conform to the expectations of parents and society. Coping with stigma eventually leads to the breakdown of mental soundness sometimes leading to mental disorders or the in other cases, the individuals take-up substance abuse. Discussion Mental health is the wholesome psychological wellbeing and lack of mental illness in an individual. As it has been shown, the LGBT community is very susceptible to mental disorders because of underdeveloped social lives. This is true when the person introverts and withdraws from the society. This situation causes depression for the individual and affects the close friends and relatives by transferring worry and sadness to them thus destroying the mental health of the person and his contacts (Riggle & Rostosky, 2012). Substance abuse has been shown to be a natural reflex to discrimination and microaggressions as well as a source of erotic boost for sexual purposes. Substance abuse generally has destructive properties that erode the minds capacity to respond and addicts it such as not to function properly when free from them. In addition, the psychological impacts of discrimination and microaggressions are damaging to the individuals mental wellbeing. This is demonstrated by the self-questioning in the case of microaggressions where one is left confused with their conduct therefore resulting in withdrawal. A simple act of discrimination can result in all the effects demonstrated in this paper. A young LGBT individual hides their true sexual orientation to avoid being marked out as an ‘outcast’. Therefore, they effectively create a false self who conforms to the orientation expectations of the society and lives this way for as long as they are able to (Nadal, 2013). The life they live in is not pleasing to them making them more lonely and depressed. They result in substance abuse to escape from the world when they are ‘high. This is a simple model of life easily played out by an individual afraid to be discriminated when they show their true self. Conclusion The paper focuses on the LGBT community and the open and undisclosed (microaggressions) discrimination based on their sexual orientation. It has come up with developments that are valuable to the society and policy makers who realize the role they must play to ensure a peaceful world for all. Regardless of race, ethnic group, religious background, gender or social-political status, it is important to treat each other respectfully. The results of mistreatment of a minority group have been shown to be far reaching beyond the life of the individual. The policy makers and academics have a lot to learn from the wealth of knowledge dug up from the reviewed medical articles reflecting the same. The problem of discrimination has been around for a long time, and the only plausible methods that can be employed to end it are self-subjugation of stereotyping and other similar mentalities that result in these acts. Finally, the content of this paper can be used by academicians as a reference. Reference Meyer. I. H. (2003). Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence. Psychol Bull, 129(5), 674-697. Nadal, Kevin L. (2013). That’s So Gay! Microaggressions and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Community. American Psychological Association. 175-190. Doi: 10.1037/14093-001. Riggle, E., & Rostosky, S. (2012). Mentors, Role Models, and Activists. In A Positive View of LGBTQ: Embracing Identity and Cultivating Well-Being. Rowman & Littlefield. 109-125. Rothman E.F., Exner D., & Baughman. A. (2011). The prevalence of sexual assault against people who identify as Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual in the United States: A systematic review. Trauma Violence Abuse, 12(2), 55–66. Saewyc, E. M., Skay, C. L., Pettingell, S. L., Reis, E. A., Bearinger, L., Resnick, M., & ... Combs, L. (2006). Hazards of Stigma: The Sexual and Physical Abuse of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Adolescents in the United States and Canada. Child Welfare, 85(2), 195. Scout. (2014). IV. Backyard Slights Are Pulling Us Down. Advocate, (1074), 62. Vandenhole, W. (2005). Non-discrimination and Equality in the View of the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies. 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