Mental Health Conditions are Real, Common and Treatable
Mental health conditions do not discriminate by age, gender, sexual orientation or race. As a result of enduring daily discrimination and stigma, transgender community members are nearly four times as likely as cisgender individuals to experience a mental health condition.
The discrimination that transgender and gender diverse communities face comes from a variety of places, including family members, employers, housing, faith-based and healthcare institutions. Some medical professionals further stigmatize transgender communities by incorrectly suggesting that being transgender is, in itself, a mental illness.
With all of these factors harming the mental health of transgender communities, it is crucial that stigma around mental health conditions be removed from the equation.
Mental health conditions are manageable, and support is available – no one should struggle alone or in silence. Help to support the mental health of our local transgender and gender diverse community members and reduce the dual discrimination these communities face.
Common Mental Health Conditions
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Anxiety Conditions
Characterized by excessive fear or anxiety that is difficult to control, which negatively and substantially impacts daily functioning.
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Defined by a persistent pattern of inattention (for example, difficulty keeping focus) and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity (for example, difficulty controlling behavior, excessive and inappropriate motor activity).
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Bipolar Disorder
Characterized by atypical, dramatic swings in mood, and activity levels that go from periods of feeling intensely happy, irritable, and impulsive to periods of intense sadness and feelings of hopelessness.
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Borderline Personality Disorder
Characterized by difficulties regulating emotion. People living with BPD feel emotions intensely and for extended periods of time, and it is harder for them to return to a stable baseline after an emotionally triggering event.
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Depression
Depression can present different symptoms depending on the person, but is often characterized by physical and mental changes that significantly interfere with daily life. Common symptoms include: hopelessness or guilty thoughts, loss of energy, changes in sleep, changes in appetite, lack of interest in activities and physical aches and pains.
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Dissociative Conditions
Characterized by an involuntary escape from reality characterized by a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness and memory.
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Eating Disorders
Describes illnesses that are characterized by irregular eating habits and severe distress or concern about body weight or shape.
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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Defined by the presence of persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are intrusive and unwanted (obsessions), or repetitive and ritualistic behaviors that a person feels are necessary in order to control obsessions (compulsions).
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Characterized as the development of debilitating symptoms following exposure to a traumatic or dangerous event. These can include re-experiencing symptoms from an event, such as flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance symptoms, changing a personal routine to escape having to be reminded of an event, or being easily startled/tense that makes daily tasks nearly impossible to complete.
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Psychosis
Characterized as disruptions to a person’s thoughts and perceptions that make it difficult for them to recognize what is real and what isn’t. These disruptions are often experienced as seeing, hearing and believing things that aren’t real or having strange, persistent thoughts, behaviors and emotions.
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Schizoaffective Disorder
Characterized by persistent symptoms of psychosis resembling schizophrenia with additional periodic symptoms of mood disorders, such as mania and depression.
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Schizophrenia
A brain disorder that impacts the way a person thinks (often described as a “thought disorder”), feels and acts. It is characterized by a range of mental, behavioral, and emotional experiences that can include: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking and grossly disorganized or abnormal motor behavior.
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Embrace
friends and family members who may be living with a mental health condition. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, but sometimes people do. Prejudice and discrimination can take a significant toll on the mental health of those around you, and it is important to let them know you can be trusted. Sometimes all it takes is a hug, a call or a positive text.
Mental Health Services
Call 211 for local mental health counseling, support and crisis response services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Together, we can stop the stigma and make a difference:
- To provide support and reduce stigma, without putting strain on your own mental or emotional health:
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Embrace friends and family members who may be living with a mental health condition. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, but sometimes people do. Prejudice and discrimination can take a significant toll on the mental health of those around you, and it is important to let them know you can be trusted. Sometimes all it takes is a hug, a call or a positive text. - Reach out if someone you know is becoming more withdrawn, anxious or isolated. Encourage them to seek help, offer to accompany them to a counseling appointment, help to research local gender-affirming mental health providers or just invite them out for coffee. Helping a loved one can also support your own mental wellbeing.
- Start a Conversation. Your voice can help change how we all think about, and treat, people living with mental health issues. Whether you are correcting misinformation about mental illness or providing support to someone living with a mental health condition, you are helping to lessen the stigma surrounding mental illness.
- To provide support if you have reached a safe place in your mental health journey and want to take action to help others in your community:
- Learn how stigma around mental illness may be preventing you or others in your community from seeking help – whether through stigma in the community or internalized self-stigma. Understand the different ways help is available and take action to get yourself or your loved ones the support they need.
- Speak Up. Let others in the community know that being mentally healthy is possible. Let people who are experiencing mental health issues know they are not alone. Let everyone know that the language and words they use, matters – it can lift people up or cause them further despair.
- Advocate for transgender community members seeking support and understanding from the mental health and medical community. Your support can help reduce the complex discrimination and stigmatization that members of the transgender and gender diverse communities face.
Conversation Starter
Hey, it seems like you’ve got a lot on your mind lately. How are you?
I just wanted to say that I am here if you want to talk about anything – Can we get together this week?
I noticed you have missed a few days of school, and I just wanted to check in with you and see how you are doing.
I haven’t seen you in a while! How have you been?
I know life can feel like a lot sometimes, but if you need someone to talk to, I want you to know I am here.
You’ve seemed a little down lately and I wanted to see how you are doing.
I just want you to know I am here for you if you ever need to talk. You’re my friend and I won’t judge you.
I know things have been hard lately; let me know if you want to talk about it. I’m here for you.