I really have nowhere else to turn. I’m 20 years old and I’m a lesbian. I was in a secret relationship for about 2 years, that ended when I was 16. About a year and a half into that relationship, my parents and siblings found out. After we broke up, I was basically forced back into the closet, which I will partly take the blame for because I had never wanted to come out anyway. Fast-forward to now, I’ve basically come out to the same people, but the only one that acknowledges me as being gay is my mother, who acts like it’s a dirty little secret I’m hiding while discouraging me from telling any other family members and colleagues. She assumes my friends know, but they don’t. There are two possibly three reasons I am afraid to tell people. The first is that I’m religious and active in a church. Second, I’m a very private person. Third, I’m not ashamed of myself when I think about being gay, but when I think about others thinking of me being gay, I feel ashamed. Two of my closest friends are a member of the LGBT community and I just can’t tell them. I’ve actually liked one of them for the past two years. So I think I might have some form of depression because no matter what I do, I can’ t seem to find happiness. I want to be in a happy meaningful relationship.
CONSIDER THIS:
- Opening up about one’s sexuality is difficult and can be very stressful. You’re brave for reaching out to TeenCentral.com for support.
- It is best to begin to explain your true feelings and intentions about your sexuality with your family. Your Mother knows of your sexuality but being more confident in opening up about your emotions will allow your family to better understand that you are hurting.
- You are a unique and valuable individual, thus you should not feel ashamed of who you are. Your sexuality is a unique feature about yourself and makes you who you are. Therefore, you should embrace this beautiful part of yourself and not be ashamed of opening up to you family, friends, and society.
- Having unreciprocated feelings for another individual especially a close friend is difficult to deal with. It may be a good idea to explain your emotions to your friend, as it will help you open up about your bottled up emotions.
- Depression can be very difficult to deal with, it is important to confront those negative and sad emotions to cope and eventually eliminate depression. On the teencentral.com website under the “learn tab”, you can read the depression web page which can give you further insight and strategies in eliminating depression.
HELP YOURSELF:
- What kind of positive changes would come about in your life if you open up to your family and friends about your sexuality openly?
- What might be a good way to open up a positive dialogue with your Mother and family about your sexuality and depression as well as how it hurts you to feel neglected and unappreciated about your emotions?
- What are some ways you can cope with your anxiety and confidently open up about your sexuality in the future to society?
- What are some ways you can be an advocate and member of your local LGBTQ community to help cultivate meaningful future relationships?
