There is no doubt that the practice of conversion therapy has been controversial for many years now, and this is because it involves changing someone's sexual orientation to make them more comfortable within their environment. According to research, there are various forms of conversion therapies available, but they all have one common goal – to change an individual's gender identity or sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual.
Even though people undergo conversion therapy hoping to gain some benefits, they are faced with long-term consequences such as emotional trust, self-concept, and psychological health issues. This article will discuss how conversion therapy affects these three areas.
Emotional Trust
Emotional trust refers to the degree of confidence individuals place in another person based on their past experiences with them. It is very important because it helps build strong relationships between people. Conversion therapy can negatively impact emotional trust because it changes the way people think about themselves and others.
When individuals participate in conversion therapy, they tend to feel ashamed of their sexuality and may blame themselves for being gay. They then start to question everything, including their ability to trust other people. In addition, they may view society as untrustworthy since they believe society rejects them due to their sexuality. As a result, they end up isolating themselves, which leads to a lack of trust among peers.
Self-Concept
Self-concept refers to an individual's perception of who he/she is. Conversion therapy damages self-concept by altering the way people view themselves. The therapy makes them feel like they are not good enough as they are and that they need to be changed into something else to fit into society's expectations. This causes them to lose sight of their worth and value, leading to low self-esteem.
The process leaves them feeling guilty about being gay, which further diminishes their sense of self-worth.
The therapy strips away their identity, making them question whether they truly know who they are. All these factors combine to cause mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
Psychological Health
Psychological health refers to how well-adjusted a person is emotionally, mentally, and socially. Conversion therapy affects psychological health by causing trauma and distress. The therapy often involves using harsh techniques that leave individuals with emotional scars. These include electric shocks, nausea-inducing drugs, and even physical abuse. Such treatments create negative memories in the mind of the patient, which can haunt them for years after the treatment ends. In addition, conversion therapy forces patients to deny their true selves, leaving them conflicted and confused. This confusion can lead to other mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Conversion therapy has long-term consequences on emotional trust, self-concept, and psychological health. People undergoing this therapy experience emotional turmoil because they view themselves as untrustworthy, damaged, or broken. They also have low self-esteem and feel isolated from others due to their sexuality.
They suffer from various forms of trauma and distress resulting from the treatment process. Therefore, it is essential to seek alternative methods of addressing gender dysphoria rather than forcing someone into a heterosexual lifestyle against their will.
What are the long-term consequences of conversion therapy or reparative interventions on emotional trust, self-concept, and psychological health?
Conversion therapies aim to change an individual's sexual orientation from gay/lesbian/bisexual to heterosexual. This practice has been proven harmful and detrimental both emotionally and physically. It involves techniques such as electroshock therapy, psychoanalysis, or aversive conditioning (for example, associating same-sex desires with nausea).