How to Maintain Confidence as an LGBTQ+ Young Adult
Navigating the world as an LGBTQ+ individual can present unique challenges, often accompanied by heightened stress and fear. Societal prejudice, discrimination, and the ongoing struggle for acceptance can take a significant toll on mental well-being.
Continue reading this blog to learn more about the impact of societal stress on LGBTQ+ mental health, as well as how to maintain confidence as an LGBTQ+ young adult.
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How Are Resilience and Self-Esteem Related?
Oftentimes, the terms resilience and self-esteem are used interchangeably. While these attributes are related to each other, each is different. Understanding the connection between resilience and self-esteem is imperative when learning how to maintain confidence as an LGBTQ+ adult. In their simplest forms, these terms can be defined as follows:
- Self-esteem serves as a metric of interior value or worth.
- Confidence is one’s belief in their ability to accomplish tasks.
- Resilience is one’s ability to face challenging tasks or situations.
As self-esteem develops steadily over time, the ability to cultivate a positive self-perception can happen at any point in a person’s life. Confidence and resilience stem from healthy self-esteem and, therefore, offer individuals the tools they need to navigate challenging situations effectively.
The ability to recognize and address low self-esteem is the first step in building self-confidence and resilience. Every individual is unique, so it’s important to remember that signs of low self-esteem may present themselves differently depending on the person, their environment, and their experiences.
Generally speaking, someone struggling with low self-esteem may show one or more of the following signs:
Thoughts and Feelings:
- Negative self-talk
- Fear of failure
- Difficulty accepting compliments
- Feeling unworthy or inadequate
- Perfectionism
- Negative social comparison
- Helplessness
Behavior:
- People-pleasing tendencies
- Lack of boundaries
- Difficulty asking for help
- Avoidance of social situations
- Procrastination
- Difficulty making decisions
- Poor confidence
Additionally, when individuals experience low self-esteem, they are at a higher risk of developing mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, as well as physical health problems. Therefore, neglecting one’s physical health, engaging in unhealthy behaviors, and experiencing poor sleep quality are also signs of low self-esteem.
The Impact of Social Stress on LGBTQ+ Mental Health
Resilience and self-esteem are important factors in any person’s life. That being said, some communities face unique risk factors when it comes to building self-confidence. These are often referred to as minority stressors and include experienced discrimination, anticipated discrimination, concealment, and internalized stigma.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community face various minority stressors that negatively impact their mental health, well-being, and self-esteem. Below, we’ll break down the details of these and the impact of social stress on LGBTQ+ mental health.
Experienced Discrimination
Any experience of prejudice an LGBTQ+ individual faces due to how they identify qualifies as experienced discrimination. This often involves societal-level, structural prejudice, like anti-LGBTQ+ laws being passed and a lack of LGBTQ+ affirmative resources.
It’s important to note that experienced discrimination ranges from direct harassment or victimization (such as being physically assaulted) to more “subtle” stigma experiences (such as hearing homophobic comments). Meaning situations that some may consider “small” or “irrelevant” can and do significantly impact others.
Anticipated Discrimination
As the name suggests, anticipated discrimination is the personal belief that as an LGBTQ+ individual, one will experience some form of prejudice. Consistently witnessing discrimination, whether it’s hearing stories on the news or seeing it in public, results in the expectation that it will eventually happen to them.
Anticipated discrimination typically involves the fear of prejudice and hypervigilance in situations where individuals feel they may be at risk or in danger. Hypervigilance can take a toll on anyone since it puts individuals in a state of intense anxiety and stress. This is one of the many barriers individuals may face when learning how to maintain confidence as an LGBTQ+ youth.
Concealment
Similar to hypervigilance, members of the LGBTQ+ community may actively hide their identities to avoid prejudice. This is known as concealment and, in addition to lying about one’s identity, could include purposefully changing their voice, gait, or body language to appear straight and cisgender.
The goal of concealment is to avoid experienced discrimination, but the efforts and energy it takes to do this can be mentally and emotionally draining. As a result, concealment can lead to mental health conditions, social isolation, loneliness, and limited support from LGBTQ+ individuals.
Internalized Stigma
Another obstacle to learning how to maintain confidence as an LGBTQ+ youth is internalized stigma. This occurs when LGBTQ+ individuals live in a heterosexist and cissexist society. When constantly surrounded by messages that degrade or invalidate LGBTQ+ identities, it can be difficult for individuals to remain true to themselves.
As a result, they may begin to adopt these harmful beliefs and devalue themselves (as an LGBTQ+ person) or other members of the LGBTQ+ community. Internalized stigma isn’t always a conscious decision. In some cases, LGBTQ+ individuals may struggle with feelings of shame and negative self-views subconsciously.
6 Strategies for Managing Stress and Fear as an LGBTQ+ Person
Now that we’ve discussed the unique challenges they face, it’s time to explore six strategies for managing stress and fear as an LGBTQ+ person.
1. Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Overcoming anxiety and fear in uncertain times can be difficult for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Fortunately, studies have proven that mindfulness and meditation practices can significantly reduce anxiety, depression, and stress.
Implementing practices like positive self-talk, breathing exercises, and mindful journaling into their daily routines can help LGBTQ+ individuals cope with the negative impacts of discrimination as well as build self-confidence, resilience, and self-esteem.
2. Stay Active and Exercise
Another simple yet effective strategy for how to maintain confidence as an LGBTQ+ young adult is prioritizing exercise. Similar to mindfulness and meditation, staying active plays a key role in managing stress and anxiety.
Regular exercise doesn’t necessarily mean participating in strenuous workouts every day; rather, individuals should find something they enjoy, whether it’s walking, jogging, yoga, swimming, or something else that gets them up and moving.
3. Embrace Creative Expression
One of the best ways for anyone to express themselves is through creative activities like painting, writing, music, and more. Embracing creative expression not only acts as an outlet for anxiety and stress but also helps LGBTQ+ individuals celebrate who they are and tap into their sense of self.
Additionally, creative expression is a healthy and productive way for individuals to navigate difficult emotions because it offers a sense of control they may not feel they have in other areas of their lives, such as work, school, or society as a whole.
4. Join LGBTQ+ Support Groups and Communities
Acceptance is a key component of building self-confidence. Establishing a strong social network and support system is crucial for improving mental health and well-being. Seeking positive role models and spending time with like-minded people offers a sense of comfort and peace of mind when they feel unsafe.
One way to do this is by joining LGBTQ+ support groups in the area. These groups provide opportunities to make long-lasting friendships and connect with individuals who understand what you may be thinking and feeling.
Many LGBTQ+ community groups offer support for young people to explore hobbies or activities they find enjoyable. These could include queer sport teams, gaming communities, book clubs, and more.
5. Advocate For Yourself and Others
Advocacy can take many forms, all of which strengthen a person’s resilience and self-esteem. Individuals don’t need to organize protests or speak from a podium to advocate for themselves; sometimes, sticking up for themselves in everyday life or supporting a friend in need is just as important and powerful.
Understanding their rights and familiarizing themselves with local resources is the first step in advocacy. Once they do this, they have the tools they need to speak up in situations where someone may be experiencing discrimination or stigma.
It’s important to remember that sometimes, personal safety and the safety of others take priority. For situations where someone feels threatened, targeted, or unsafe in any way, the best course of action is to remove themselves and find help.
6. Seek Help From Professionals
Learning how to maintain confidence as an LGBTQ+ young adult isn’t a journey anyone needs to navigate alone. When it comes to mental health and well-being, there’s wisdom in asking professionals for help.
LGBTQ+ therapy services can provide individuals with healthy coping mechanisms for overcoming anxiety and fear in uncertain times and strengthening resilience and self-esteem. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular approach for addressing negative thought patterns and behaviors.
With the guidance of a mental health professional, individuals can identify and challenge harmful thoughts by replacing them with positive, realistic beliefs. Malvern Behavioral Health is just one of many places dedicated to providing safe and affirming therapy for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Malvern Behavioral Health’s Wisteria program is a safe and affirming program designed to treat LGBTQ patients struggling with situational or clinical depression. Our team is committed to meeting you as you are, where you are, for WHO you are.
Learn more about our Wisteria Program today.
Our recovery-focused trained staff is committed to empowering LGBTQ+ individuals and promoting overall well-being. Talk to us today to see how we can help.
