Mental health
Gay/bisexual men/MSM are known to experience mental health issues in higher numbers than their heterosexual counterparts.
Research suggests that we experience, anxiety & depression (whether clinically diagnosed or self defined) mental disorder, suicidal behaviour and substance misuse - these are also shared in the wider lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) communities.
Evidence indicates that this is linked to discrimination - although the UK has seen many changes in legislation for LGBT people in the past 10 years which means we have equal rights in terms of the law (which obviously is a step in the right direction) some us still face prejudice and discrimination in our everyday lives, which can impact on how we feel about ourselves and our behaviour.
Research also shows strong links between HIV/STI infection and mental health. Lots of us have had casual sex with someone "to feel wanted" or "to cheer ourselves up" and maybe taken risks with our sexual health, which we probably wouldnt take normally.
Isolation can also play a big part in mental health, particularly if you're gay/bisexual and feel "different" from everyone around you.
Cornwall, by its very nature, is very rural and meeting other gay/bisexual/MSM in social situations can be tricky. Even in Brighton (where there is a large and active gay community) the recent "Count Me In Too" study conducted with LGBT people in the city showed that nearly one third of respondants had experienced isolation - the bright lights of the scene can be very harsh at times, just because a scene is there doesnt mean that all LGBT people can, or want to access it.
Violence and bullying often go unreported in the gay community, hate crime (as it is known) can have a serious effect on the quality of life of its victims - one UK study found that 82% of all incidents are not reported
Domestic violence and abuse can also play a part in mental health - most of us think of physical violence when we hear this term, but abuse of rights and power in relationships can result in poor mental health too.
Talking to someone about how you feel can sometimes help make sense of what you're going through
Healthy Gay Cornwall has the "Face To Face" service - Its a free, confidential service, giving you a chance to talk to another gay man about whatever may be going on for you - it doesn't even have to be a big thing (often its better to look at things that you're not happy with early on before they become any bigger) - but if it something you've been "holding on to" in your head for a while, its ok to talk to us about that too. Whilst "Face To Face" is NOT a counselling service - we do use aspects of counselling skills to help you decide what's right for you. If you do need specific counselling, we can put you in touch with people who could help (some of these services are free) - we can also refer you to other services in the county that work with mental health issues.
To book a Face To Face appointment call 01872 255044
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