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Mental health and sexuality

Hi, I’ve been confused now for many years on my sexuality. My mental health isn’t that great at the moment. I have good and bad days. Lately I’ve been feeling more depressed and I’m anxious all the time. I know it’s normal to feel all these emotions when trying to figure urself out but it’s getting extremely frustrating and overwhelming all at once. It’s a lot to handle. I just need some advice as I don’t really have and trust anyone enough to talk about it.

Leafy22
Leafy22Posted 02-07-2022 11:09 PM

Comments

 
Anzelmo
AnzelmoPosted 03-07-2022 11:33 AM

Hi @Leafy22 !

 

It can be difficult to open up about things like this, so thank you for sharing with us how you are feeling. 💙

 

Sexuality is a very personal thing and can be tricky to figure out and even chat about because it's different for each individual, but opening up about it and seeking support is always a good idea.

 

Do you mind me asking what else is making you feel frustrated and overwhelmed and what's been impacting your mental health?

 

Hope you are well!

 
 
Leafy22
Leafy22Posted 05-07-2022 03:26 PM

Hi thanku for ur reply! 🙂 just overwhelmed with everything atm family, friends, work and mental health. I have anxiety and depression on top of figuring out my sexuality

 
 
 
Portia_RO
Portia_ROPosted 06-07-2022 01:09 PM

Hi @Leafy22 I can definitely relate to what you're saying about being frustrated and overwhelmed when trying to work out your sexuality. I identify as a lesbian now but when I was first exploring my sexuality I was really uncertain about how I felt and it brought me a lot of stress trying to work out who I was. Be gentle with yourself while you're trying to work things out - it can be really exhausting, so make sure you take some time to unwind and relax if you can 💖

 

You mentioned that you're struggling with depression and anxiety on top of everything else, and that you're feeling overwhelmed by family, friends and work at the moment too. That's a lot to take on all at once!  When your depression or anxiety gets tough, what does that look like for you? You mentioned that you don't feel as though you trust anyone enough to talk about your sexuality yet (which I definitely understand), does anyone know about your anxiety and depression?

 

I hope you know that you're not alone in what you're going through and that we are always here to listen if you need to vent or chat about what's going on for you. Hang in there @Leafy22 💞

 
 
 
Maddy-RO
Maddy-ROPosted 05-07-2022 08:23 PM

Hi @Leafy22

 

It must be so difficult to have issues affecting several areas of your life at the one time 😞. I'm reading that questions about your sexuality are adding a lot of stress to your life at the moment. It's understandable that you are feeling overwhelmed by all of this, and you are not alone in feeling overwhelmed with the idea of trying to figure out your sexuality. 

 

I just wanted to say that sometimes people get into this trap of trying to have all the answers about their sexuality, that not knowing this causes them a lot of stress. If this is the case with you, then I thought I'd raise that it is actually okay to not know all the answers yet. Sometimes, figuring these sorts of things out can take a while, and that is okay. It might be helpful to label your sexuality something like 'unsure for now' or 'still figuring it out' or 'TBC (to be confirmed)', instead of trying to figure out whether you are gay vs. lesbian vs. bisexual vs. asexual vs. other. ❤️ In other words, try and practice some acceptance around not knowing and trust that you will figure out sooner or later. What do you think?

 

I know you said you don't have many people you trust, but have you considered takling to a mental health professional, such as the school counselor? or contacting Kids Helpline? Such professionals are bound by the ethical rule/regulation of confidentiality, which means they cannot talk to others about what you have spoken about, which might help you to feel more trusting towards them.

 
MAYC-RO
MAYC-ROPosted 03-07-2022 10:18 AM

Hi @Leafy22 

 

You’ve done really well at being able to recognise how you’re feeling and taking the steps for getting some advice 💖

 

You’re right, it is a lot to handle when you don’t have anyone that you can confide in, and it’s completely understandable to feel overwhelmed! Are you taking any time to practice some self-care or doing something that you enjoy?

 

This article may be a good starting point, and additional local resources can be found here, including QLife which is a LGBTI peer support service that provides free anonymous phone and webchat services, and we’re here to listen if you need to chat some more 🙂

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