ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This Pride Month, advocates are working to help youth struggling with mental health create safe spaces complete with acceptance and support.
The Trevor Project’s U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People found 36% of those ages 13 to 24 seriously considered attempting suicide in the last year. Ellie Mental Health Clinic Director Aaron Warren, 32, said he attempted suicide twice growing up and hopes sharing his journey helps the younger generation feel like they are not alone.
“It can be hard, even in the most supportive homes being a queer kid, because even if your home is supportive, there’s a huge part of society that’s not,” said Warren, who shared that he first attempted suicide at 14, then again in college.
“Caught me between two worlds and I didn’t know what to do,” said Warren. “I had the world I grew up in where like, it was the worst thing you could possibly be, and you had to shove it down and stifle it, to and now, I’m being shamed for not being proud of it and that tension became too much for me,” said Warren. “I tried twice and didn’t succeed. I got very lucky.”
Lucky to be alive, said Warren, whose personal journey is now part of his professional one. the licensed marriage and family therapist focuses on areas including LGBTQ+ issues and religious trauma. He said clients appreciate the fact that he can relate. Warren said he tries to spread messages of hope.
“Both from the research and from my own personal appearance as a clinician, is if there’s hope, even if that hope is in somebody else, it’s usually enough to be a deterrent, so knowing that they’re not alone,” said Warren. “And then the second piece is knowing that it can get better.”
Outpatient mental health therapist Lauren Neumann stresses acceptance, too.
Still, the Trevor Project survey found that 59% of 13-17-year-old LGBTQ+ youth experienced bullying.
“Being a part of the LGBTQ youth population alone isn’t that one factor that causes that rate of suicidality to go up,” said Neumann. “But it’s all the factors that come with it, like bullying and harassment and not feeling like you belong.”
Neumann said that’s why it’s important to create a sense of belonging and to create a sense of space for support.
“LGBTQ youth who have found one supportive or like adult they could trust, has reduced suicidality by 40%, in those youth,” said Neumann. “So just being that one person that they can feel like they can go to and you’re their safe space has really, can make all that difference.”
Making a difference, trying to save lives.
“It can get better, it does get better,” said Warren.
If you or a loved one is struggling, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is 988 and available 24-7.