Living With Social Anxiety Disorder as an LGBTQ+ Person

People who areLGBTQ+(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or queer) may be at increased risk forsocial anxiety disorder（悲伤）因为他们发展的社会背景。

CISENDER（那些性别与出生时的性别一致的人）或异性恋者在一个普遍接受他们的身份和关系的环境中成长。对于LGBTQ+个人来说，情况往往并非如此，他们可能会因为做别人认为理所当然的事情而面临偏见或污名，比如牵手或穿自己喜欢的衣服。

The need to monitor oneself in social situations sets the stage for the development of social anxiety disorder in individuals who may already be predisposed due to genetics or other environmental factors.

Development of SAD

If you grew up as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, there were probably few examples of how to form a relationship that were relevant to you. In its simplest terms, it's a bit like growing up left-handed in a right-handed world. In more serious terms, it can involve outright violence or hate crimes. As a result, you learn to read each situation and determine how safe it is to be yourself. This is a natural response to persistent exposure to prejudice and discrimination, but it can lead to shame and anxiety.

The Social Context

Of importance, as well, is the fact that SAD tends to develop in the teenage years, the same time at which LGBTQ+ individuals may be first encountering shame and hate about who they are.

Over time, these external messages may become internalized and shape how you think about yourself. If the outside world is full of negative messages about who you are, eventually you may see yourself as unlovable and flawed. This experience can have powerful long-lasting negative effects on your mental health.

Causes of Social Anxiety in the LGBTQ+ Population

While the same factors play a role in the development of SAD as they do in heterosexual and/or cisgender individuals, the social context in which LGBTQ+ individuals develop can be a trigger for worsening social anxiety.

You were raised in a world that does not seem to welcome you, and over time, you may find yourself internalizing that message. The development of a core belief that you are not a worthwhile person may then be in part the result of something called少数的压力。

少数群体压力是指那些受到侮辱、歧视和歧视的群体所经历的长期高水平的压力，prejudice, and in this case homophobia or transphobia. You may face overt aggression or subtle hints that you are not approved of if you come out. In this way, you learn to stay silent about a part of yourself, which can lead to increased anxiety.

Other Causes

Of course, LGBTQ+ persons are also at risk for SAD due to the samegenetic and environmental factors作为普通民众。由于你的遗传、你的教养和你早期的经历，你对焦虑的倾向使你更有可能被诊断为悲伤。

Seeking Help

As an LGBTQ person with social anxiety, you may have trouble admitting you need help. It may be doubly hard to approach your doctor, both because your social anxiety makes it hard for you to talk to people and because you feel as though you may be discriminated against for being LGBTQ+. In this way, you may be "coming out to your doctor" in more ways than one—a situation that may just feel too difficult.

Self-Help

如果跟你的医生现在感觉太难了, consider what you can do on your own first to build up confidence, such as joining a support group or trying out a励志的书或online course. 拥有健康自我形象的人不太可能受到少数族裔压力的严重影响，因此，你必须树立根深蒂固的核心信念，即你在社会上无能或不值得。尽管这可能会让人感到困难，但建立自信将是获得帮助的第一步。

Medication

In cases of severe social anxiety, your doctor may prescribe medication such as aselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Medication is generally used over a prescribed period as a way to jump-start you toward lowering your anxiety. Medication is generally most effective when it is combined with some sort of cognitive work, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for social anxiety.

Therapy

SAD的CBT包括识别导致负面想法的核心信念。通过改变你的思维模式，你学会了以更现实的方式看待情况。如果你要参加治疗，重要的是要找到一个治疗师，他会支持你作为一个LGBTQ+的人，了解你生活的环境，以及一个了解社交焦虑症的人。虽然这听起来是一个很高的要求，但也有符合这些标准的治疗师。

Trouble may appear if you don't feel safe with your therapist. While it's true there are still some therapists who view being LGBTQ+ as a mental illness to be cured, they are becoming less common. Talk to your therapist about how your experience of anxiety may be different and make sure there is a good fit before agreeing to begin therapy.

其他问题的风险

You are also at risk for other problems such as substance abuse. In particular, research showed that lesbians were more likely than their heterosexual peers to develop substance abuse. Some people may also cope in unhelpful ways, such as by engaging in risky sexual activities as a way to manage problems in developing relationships or to avoid facing difficult feelings. It's important to seek help early to avoid developing other related problems.

帮助LGBTQ+悲伤的人

Think of that person just as you would any other person with social anxiety disorder. Tell that person that you love and appreciate them just as they are. You can also help by finding resources for your friend or family member, such as support groups, group therapy, or self-help resources. Also—don't ignore a person's request to be called by a certain name or be referred to with different pronouns. What might seem like a small thing to you may very well be a large part of that person accepting themself.

Recognize that the act of disclosing one's status as LGBTQ+ to family and friends may cause anxiety, particularly among those already living with SAD. Use inclusive language and be open and friendly to show your support to your friend or family member, so that they know you are a person in whom they can confide. Put in some work to unlearn any homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic rhetoric so that you can fully support your loved one.

A Word From Verywell

Social anxiety relates to how you think other people see you. It makes you self-conscious. Being LGBTQ+ also makes you prone to social anxiety out of the fear you will be judged and subsequently punished by others. If you are living with social anxiety, find someone you trust to reach out to for help.