Interpersonal Trauma and Sexual Minorities

In recent years LGBT initials have been used to refer to all individuals and communities that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender or those who have doubts about their sexuality or gender identity. In the United States of America, the term “sexual minorities” is commonly used. The word ” lesbian ” is used to call a woman who has an emotional, romantic and sexual attraction to other women. The term ” gay ” is used to describe a man or woman who has an emotional, romantic and sexual attraction towards another person of the same gender; Some people only use the term in reference to gay men.

In the same way, the term “bisexual” is used to refer to a man or a woman who has an emotional, romantic and sexual attraction towards people of both genders. For some, the attraction to each gender is equitable, while for others there may be a preference of one gender over another, this is known as sexual orientation. Finally, the term “transgender” is a general term that describes people whose mental sex or gender identity is different from the sex assigned at birth.

Furthermore, depression is a feeling beyond feeling sad or going through a difficult time. Itst people of the lgbt community might present episodes of depression because of judgemental comments or stereotypes associated to their community. Depression is a serious mental health condition that requires understanding, treatment and a very good recovery plan. People with severe depression may feel hopeless and have an increased risk of suicide. As with any mental health condition, people with depressive disorders experience different symptoms. However, for most, depression changes the way they function daily. Common symptoms of depression include changes in sleep habits. Many people have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep or sleeping much longer than before. They an also cause changes in appetite. These episodes can cause loss or weight gain when a person stops eating or uses food as a survival mechanism. Another symptom might be the lack of energy. People with depression may feel tired and their cognitive ability may decrease. Also, they may not be able to perform normal routine tasks.

In addition, another thing that I found interesting about the conference was that they talked about PTSD and how it affects the lgbt community. PTSD is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. This “fight-or-flight” response is a typical reaction meant to protect a person from harm. Mental Health Research proves this claim. LGBTQ youth are at a high risk for developing PTSD. PTSD has lifelong consequences on mental and emotional health, including hallucinations, nightmares, difficulty concentrating, flashbacks, trouble falling or staying asleep, intimacy issues, irritability, and more. Another symptom includes internalized homophobia and/or transphobia, or how a queer and/or trans person interprets negative images about their identity internally.

Morover, transgender people may suffer from gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is characterized by a strong and persistent identification with the other sex associated with anxiety, depression, irritability and often desire to live with a gender different from that assigned at birth. The most extreme form of gender dysphoria can be called transsexuality. Sexual role behaviors fall into a continuum of masculinity or traditional femininity, although culturally it is increasingly recognized that some people do not conform to the traditional male-female dichotomy.

Many boys play like girls or act like their mothers, which includes trying on their sister’s or mother’s clothes. In general, this behavior is part of normal development. Subjects who have gender dysphoria experience a certain degree of incongruence between their sex of birth and their sexual identity. People with severe gender dysphoria may experience severe, disturbing and persistent symptoms and have a strong desire for a medical and /or surgical transformation of their body so that it is more aligned to their gender identity.

During my Psychology class, we learned about Stereotypes. Stereotypes can be defined as a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. Negative stereotypes based on the sexual orientations or gender identities of the LGBT community are often assiciated with homophobia or transphobia. For example, there is the stereotype that all gay men are effeminate. In reality, just because someone is gay, it does not mean he is promiscuous, stylish, or involved in theatre and the performing arts. Furthermore, the lgbt community is found in every social, economic, racial and religioud group. They are our teachers, colleagues, Friends, and family. Most people thinkthey can know if someone is part of the lgbt community by the way the talk, move, or dress, but this is a total misconception. While there are some gay and lesbian people that fit to these stereotypes, the do not represent all people that identify as LGBT.

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