Center Blog

Guest Post by Client who participates in the Center’s Skills For Emotional Health Group

Skills For Emotional Health is an all-gender interactive support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-identified people to discuss personal emotional challenges and to develop skills for managing these issues. Challenges include experiences of anxiety, depression, excessive self-criticism, recurring distressing thoughts, and other mental health concerns. Members are encouraged to share successful coping strategies, develop non-judgmental self-acceptance, and strengthen support networks.

For many emotionally challenged LGBT people there is a belief that there is no “safe haven.” Fears, depression and anxiety rule our lives and we wonder if we will ever be able to relate to others.

Far too many of us are seeing professionals, but the sensation of being isolated, alone and owning our depression and negative feelings about ourselves, as if we deserve this self-loathing. Outside sources such as family and religion, are more often than not, major contributors to our negative self-image and it seems there is nowhere to turn.

We have been programmed into a mind-set that “our kind” are freaks and have been punished by factors at home, in society, or both. We have often been brain-washed into self-hatred by parents or siblings,  peers, religion, and society at large, or combinations of all of these factors.

The Center group “Skills For Emotional Health” offers an unique alternative to such negativity. This is not a replacement for one-on-one therapy, but it is a positive group environment, where we can express our deepest feelings that prevent us from being the person we wish to be. It is a place where we can voice and/or vent our frustrations, fears, anxiety and self-loathing in a warm, supportive and self-affirming atmosphere.

There are no quick cures, but we are all on a journey of self-discovery and hope. Nothing good comes easily or fast, but here, we can be ourselves with others of similar experience and begin the healing process in a guided and supervised setting. No judgments, no criticism, no harsh words; only our peers, all going through this process together and for many, for the very first time ever.

Those who participate in this group learn that we can understand and face our own demons, and we can begin to defuse and disarm those gremlins of the past that still hold sway over us and eventually send them packing. There are no guarantees in life, but group therapy is one way we can find support and insights into this long, dark tunnel, towards that glimmer of hope and light up ahead.

The Center has spent nearly three decades looking out for the health and well being of LGBT people.  This week we, and dozens of organizations across the nation, celebrate the 10^th Annual National LGBT Health Awareness Week.

Spearheaded by the National Coalition for LGBT Health, the theme of the 2012 campaign is “Come Out for Health,” and described as a call to action for community members, advocates, service providers, and governmental officials to recognize health and wellness as an essential part of the social justice movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, families and the wider community.

The Coalition is committed to improving the health and well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals through federal advocacy that is focused on research, policy, education, and training.  The LGBT community includes individuals of every sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, and age; regardless of disability, income, education, and geography. Members are dedicated to effecting change by uniting this rich diversity at the national level.

Here at the Center the Community Services Department is incorporating LGBT health awareness themes into a number of our groups in the wellness, recovery, youth, and family program areas. Members of our staff also testified in favor of strong LGBT cultural competency training in New York City public hospitals, at a recent joint NYC City Council hearing by the Committee on Civil Rights and Committee on Health.

According to the National Coalition for LGBT Health:

LGBT people face numerous barriers in access to health care services. These barriers include lower rates of access to health insurance and fear of discrimination by providers who lack an understanding of LGBT health concerns.

According to a recent national survey conducted by Harris Interactive®, nearly one in four gay and lesbian adults lack health insurance and rates of uninsurance are even higher for bisexual and transgender people. These lower rates of health insurance coverage result from factors that affect many LGBT people and include poverty, unemployment, and job discrimination. Moreover, most employers do not extend health insurance benefits to the family members of LGBT employees, and practices that limit or deny access to coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions also contribute to low rates of insurance.

Beyond the difficulty of accessing coverage, barriers persist in many health care settings. Health care providers may be insensitive to LGBT health concerns and are often not trained to communicate with LGBT patients. Fear of harassment or concerns about privacy also often lead LGBT people to withhold personal information from their providers. This can include vital information such as sexual orientation, gender identity, prescription medication use, sexual behavior, substance use, and relationship concerns such as domestic violence.

These disparities in access result in worse health for the LGBT community in comparison to the general population. LGBT people often experience increased health risks, such as substance use and violence, as well as higher rates of conditions such as cancer, mental health concerns, and sexually transmitted infections. Without timely access to vital health care, these disparities can be deadly.

What can you do?

*Share your stories with providers and policy makers about the importance of health and access to health care for the LGBT community.

*Share the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association guidelines with your health care providers and help them create a safe and welcoming environment for the LGBT community.

*Community health centers & other health facilities can participate in HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index.

*Urge providers to become familiar with guidelines for LGBT cultural competence.

Learn more:

Gay and Lesbian Medical Association: www.glma.org

CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers: www.lgbtcenters.org

WWW.LGBTHEALTH.NET

Look for more blogs about LGBT Health Awareness Week throughout the next several days.