Self esteem and the importance of living authentically
LEO CUSIMANO | Courtesy of News Is Outnewsisout.com “Don’t worry about what other people think of you. They need to worry about what you think of them.” I offered this advice to a new colleague of mine recently as we sat enjoying our lunch of gumbo and shrimp po’ boys on a cloudy Dallas afternoon.
He responded, “For the first time in a long time I feel as though I can truly be myself.” According to alternativemeds.com, the LGBTQ community struggles with issues of mental health and substance abuse at a statistically higher rate than does society overall.
These struggles don’t happen in a vacuum; they often occur in the context of stress created by discrimination and a lack of support systems for LGBTQ individuals in society.
I listened as my colleague talked about some of the past experiences that caused his life to take a dark turn. He identifies as a Latino gay male, and he grew up in a very religious household where being gay meant spending an eternity in hell.
