Queer Therapy for Anxiety and Depression | The Queer Psychotherapy Collective

Life is in a downward spiral.

In our culture, it is shameful for people to admit they are sad or worried. Queer individuals are especially vulnerable due to society’s view of their lifestyle being socially unacceptable.

Letting others know they feel unhappy is hard to do. Instead, they let their depression and anxiety thicken, making their symptoms increasingly challenging to manage.

Life before depression and anxiety seems so idealistic. Once you enjoyed activities and doing things with friends and family. You even had big dreams for your life. But then, sadness hit, causing you to feel negative about yourself.

Your surroundings reinforce your sense of worthlessness and negative viewpoint. So, you plan to excel so that no one will notice your worthlessness. You use the mask of perfection to hide your true feelings. Under that mask, you feel scared, helpless, and isolated and don’t feel like living.

Being queer makes things harder for you.

Then, your queerness becomes focused, and you think, “Here’s another reason to hate who I am.”

Often, the queerphobia you direct at yourself is more potent than some conservative queer-hating bigots. The shame you feel is real.

Even when you are no longer ashamed of your sexual orientation or gender identity, shame may have imprinted on your core identity a sense of worthlessness that permeates all aspects of your being.

Anxiety and depression are hard to overcome alone.

Everyone occasionally experiences a tinge of anxiety, but persistent anxiety can create emotional and physical problems. Sleep can become problematic. Even the slightest events can trigger overreactions, causing you to worry constantly. As a result, anxiety can impact every aspect of your life.

Although the causes of depression may differ from anxiety, they share many things in common. Events in your life or lifestyle may be the root cause of feeling depressed. The depression you feel can create overwhelming sadness, unworthiness, and negativity toward life.

Our goal is to help queer people rewrite their narratives. Having your story heard and gaining insight into the cause of your anxiety or depression can help you move beyond feeling anxious or depressed.

While we work to provide you with tools to deal with your anxiety or depression, the sadness in life will become replaced with hope and curiosity. Overcoming how you feel may not be easy, but it may mean the difference between living an unbearable life and enjoying one filled with love and happiness.