LGBTQ+ Getting support

Pride Month is a time for LGBTQ+ members to gather and celebrate their freedom to live authentically. As pride month comes to an end, it is important that we keep the momentum and positivity going. The LGBTQ+ community deserves to be affirmed, safe, supported, proud, and live mentally healthy lives. (Mental Health America)
 
Although being LGBTQ+ is absolutely not a mental illness, many LGBTQ+ people experience mental health struggles. LGBTQ+ teens are 6 times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than non-LGBTQ+ identifying teens. LGBTQ+ youth are over 2 times as likely to feel suicidal and over 4 times as likely to attempt suicide compared to heterosexual youth. Forty-eight% of transgender adults report that they have considered suicide in the last year, compared to 4% of the overall US population.
 
Ongoing stigma, discrimination, lack of support, and other factors contribute to these higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, and more. With acceptance, allyship, and appropriate treatment, family and friends can help their loved ones prevent, manage, and overcome mental struggles. (Ellis, 2021.)

​We support equality and acceptance by providing a safe space to every identity.
If you or an LGBTQ+ individual you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach a trained counselor at The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386 and Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860. Or call to schedule with one of our trained therapists at The Mental Mediator 484.515.6125.

References
 
Ellis, M. E. (2021, July 22). 5 ways to support your LGBTQ loved one’s mental health. Constellation Behavioral Health. https://www.constellationbehavioralhealth.com/blog/5-ways-to-support-your-lgbtq-loved-ones-mental-health/
 
LGBTQ+ communities and Mental Health. Mental Health America. (n.d.). https://mhanational.org/issues/lgbtq-communities-and-mental-health