Friendship is an essential aspect of human life that provides emotional support, social interaction, and companionship.
The loss or rejection of friends can significantly impact one's mental health, especially for individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ), and others from minority groups. This essay will explore the effects of friendship loss or rejection on LGBTQ individuals' mental health trajectory and provide evidence to back up these claims.
Friendship Losses
Losing friends can be devastating regardless of one's identity but may cause more significant distress for LGBTQ individuals because they already struggle with stigmatization, prejudice, discrimination, and isolation. LGBTQ people may experience greater difficulties building and maintaining friendships due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, which can lead to loneliness and feelings of alienation.
Studies have shown that LGBTQ youth are more likely to experience bullying, harassment, and assault than their heterosexual counterparts, leading to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. The breakdown in a friendship between two peers can add another layer of trauma and stress to this situation by causing further pain and suffering.
Rejections
The rejection of friendship requests or overtures can also negatively affect LGBTQ individuals' mental health. Research suggests that rejection experiences are linked to increased risk-taking behavior, substance abuse, and other unhealthy coping mechanisms among young adults. In addition, being rejected by a potential friend or lover can be emotionally challenging, especially when it is based on sexual orientation or gender identity. It can make individuals feel unwanted, inferior, and unworthy of love, leading to low self-esteem and poor body image.
Mental Health Trajectories
Friendship losses and rejections can significantly impact the trajectory of LGBTQ individuals' mental health. These experiences can contribute to a cycle of negative emotions, such as fear, shame, guilt, anger, jealousy, sadness, and hopelessness.
These emotions can take a toll on an individual's overall well-being and lead to increased distress, which may manifest in various ways, including physical symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, headaches, digestive issues, and chronic illnesses. In addition, friendship loss or rejection can lead to social withdrawal, isolation, and disengagement from society, further exacerbating one's mental health struggles.
The loss or rejection of friends can be particularly difficult for LGBTQ individuals due to their unique experiences with stigma, discrimination, and prejudice. Friendships provide essential support, companionship, and intimacy that help individuals feel valued and connected to others, but when these bonds are broken or never formed, it can have long-lasting effects on mental health. It is crucial for us all to recognize the importance of friendships in our lives and seek out healthy relationships that nourish our minds, bodies, and spirits. We must also work towards creating a more inclusive and accepting world where everyone feels safe, supported, and loved regardless of their identity or orientation.
In what ways do friendship losses or rejections affect the mental health trajectory of LGBTQ individuals?
It is not uncommon for some members of the LGBTQ community to experience significant distress when their friendships are lost due to sexual orientation or gender identity differences. Research has indicated that these types of social rejection can negatively impact one's self-esteem and sense of belongingness. In addition, friendships provide an important source of support during times of adversity, so the loss of friends can leave individuals feeling isolated and alone.