Anxiety and the LGBTQ Community- How to Cope

Posted: August 7, 2018

Anxiety and worry can come anytime for some people. You could be finding your having a hard time getting to sleep at night because you can’t stop worrying, or you travel and find it hard to pack for a trip. When you have anxiety, your heart can beat faster and you can feel panicked. It can be harder to breathe. Anxiety in the LGBTQ community can come from families and work environments that aren’t accepting and affirming. If you must spend your time worrying what your uncle is going to say to you at family dinners, that can make it hard to focus. If your coworkers are making rude comments about the LGBTQ community, you could feel like you aren’t in a safe space to work and that could cause anxiety. Dealing with anxiety is a twofold process. You need to develop coping skills to use when you worry and panic. But, you also need to find the causes of your anxiety and process and work through those issues.

Coping Skills for Anxiety

Coping skills can take form in many ways. A well-known coping skill is deep breathing. If you can focus, you can count while you are breathing, inhale to a count of five and exhale to a count of five. Or, I like to imagine a balloon that’s in my stomach that’s inflating and getting smaller. I breathe with the balloon while it’s getting bigger and smaller. Another coping skill is to imagine yourself in a place that feels safe to you. It’s best to go ahead and pick your place while you’re not anxious. While you’re reading this blog go ahead and think of the most calm and serene place you can think of. I really like the rivers in North Georgia and the sounds the water makes as it is flowing down the river bumping into rocks and trees. When you are feeling anxious, or having a panic attack, try to go back to your place and imagine it. Imagine sitting in it and experiencing the touch, sounds and smells of your place. Use this imagery to find peace and calm. If you are at work when you feel panicked or worried, try to bring soothing things to work with you. Maybe it’s a plant from your grandmother’s garden. Maybe it’s your favorite hot tea. Use these peaceful serene items when you are feeling anxious to try to calm down.

Therapy for Anxiety

The other approach to dealing with your anxiety is to process the source of your anxiety. This is best accomplished with the help of a trained therapist that can guide you through your anxiety and its roots. Your therapist can work through the beginnings of your worry, anxiety and panic so that you don’t feel that way in the future. It’s good to work through this with a therapist, so you don’t end up feeling overwhelmed thinking about your anxiety. I specialize in working with anxiety with the LGBTQ community with all people as well. I listen and hear the specific struggles that you could be having and can work with you to overcome your worries and anxiety, so you can have a more peaceful, calm life. Please call me at 404-800-7586 for a free consultation or email me on the contact page here to work together for positive change.