The unique challenges that come with being part of an LGBT couple can be difficult to overcome. There are many stressors and hurdles that these individuals have to go through which may cause emotional distress and difficulty coping. This is why it's important for them to learn how to build resilience in order to navigate the obstacles they face in life. These include social stigma, discrimination, homophobia, lack of acceptance from family members, rejection from friends, religious persecution, healthcare discrimination, violence, and legal issues related to marriage equality.
Resilience is the ability to cope with stress and adversity. It involves both internal resources such as optimism, self-esteem, and support systems like community networks and external resources such as access to health care, education, employment, housing, and other basic needs. Resilience helps people bounce back after traumatic events or adverse experiences and allows them to thrive despite these pressures.
LGBT couples develop resilience through various strategies including positive thinking, setting boundaries, seeking professional help, practicing mindfulness meditation, staying connected to their communities, maintaining a strong sense of identity, having a supportive partner, and using creative outlets for expression. When faced with operational stressors like job loss, financial difficulties, relationship struggles, or medical issues, resilient couples focus on what they can control while acknowledging their feelings without getting overwhelmed by negative thoughts about the situation. They also prioritize self-care activities like exercise, nutrition, sleep, hobbies, and leisure time.
By building resilience, LGBT couples can better manage their emotions and adapt to changing circumstances. This leads to improved mental health outcomes such as reduced anxiety and depression symptoms, increased coping skills, greater life satisfaction, higher quality relationships, and enhanced overall well-being. In turn, this enables them to live a fulfilling and meaningful life full of purpose and joy.
How do LGBT couples develop resilience in the face of repeated operational stressors?
LGBT individuals who experience discrimination and prejudice due to their sexual orientation are more likely to have poorer mental health outcomes than those who do not (Brown et al. , 2014). The chronic nature of such stressors has been associated with impaired adaptability and increased vulnerability to stressful events in other contexts as well.