I remember when my best friend and co-worker came out to me. I had known him for over a year but the topic of his sexuality had never come up before. I had confided in him about my childhood and things I had gone through and so in a gesture of giving he whispered into my ear, "I have something to share with you too. I'm gay." Then he leaned back and giggled nervously waiting for my response. I had suspected all along but I thought it would be appropriate to act surprised. I smiled a big broad grin and said, "I am so honored that you told me this." Of course the second thing out of my mouth was, "Who else knows?"
It was then that I realized what a big deal this was for him to say those words. My friend told me that I was the only straight person he had told. None of his family knew or would know. When his mother was dying of cancer he debated on telling her but just could not bring himself to do it. His brothers, his parents, his extended family, his co-workers...nobody knew he was gay. It was a secret he had been hiding for years.
And then it also dawned on me how much of a struggle that would be to keep something so integral to your sense of self hidden away.
When I was suffering from a horrible depression and unable to keep from crying despite being at work, it was my friend who dialed a psychologist and handed me the phone. He understood depression firsthand as he had been battling both depression and anxiety for years. Depression crosses all lines of human classification. Doesn't matter what race, ethnic group, country of origin, or sexual orientation you belong to. Depression can affect any human being. Yet some populations do seem to suffer more. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness , some studies suggest that the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender population may be more at risk for depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders than their heterosexual counterparts.
Why is this so?
The National Women's Health Information Center reports that for lesbian women depression may be, in part, caused by social stigma, rejection by family members, being subject to abuse and violence, and having to hide some or all aspects of one's life. I would conclude that these issues would be true for bisexuals and gay men as well. One would hope that such things as discrimination and prejudice would not be such an issue today for persons who are gay but this is sadly not the case. Just do a google search of homosexuality and depression and you will soon see evidence that the stigma of being gay is being kept alive. I don't have to tell you that there are those who see being gay as a mental and/or moral affliction in itself.
Just to clarify where the American Psychological Association stands on this, here is what they have to say:
