Sexuality and Gender Identity

Sexuality and gender identity are a big part of who we are but can at times can be a source of confusion, worry and stress for a lot of young people.

For some, you may know and feel certain about your gender and/or your sexuality, for others it may not be as clear. It’s ok to not be sure about either your sexuality or gender. It can take time to fully understand your thoughts and feelings. Even if you feel really clear it may still cause you worry or stress.

This can all have an impact on your emotional wellbeing; how you feel, how you behave and how you’re managing life in general.

How might emotional wellbeing be affected?

Some common experiences can affect your wellbeing:

feeling ‘different’ from other people around you.
transphobic bullying about your sexuality or gender identity, whether verbal or physical.
feeling pressure to define or deny your feelings regarding your sexuality or gender identity.
feeling unsupported or worried that your gender identity will not be accepted by friends and family members, along with the possibility of being rejected or isolated.
feeling stressed and anxious in relation to the pressure to conform with your sex assigned at birth.

Feeling these pressures can be stressful, especially with all the other stresses in your life such as managing school, forming relationships and making sense of who you are and your place in the world.

How will you know if it’s starting to affect your emotional wellbeing?

Things to look out for include:

changes in mood – feeling sadder, more anxious or more irritable.
changes in behaviour – being less talkative, becoming withdrawn or being more aggressive.
changes in relationships – falling out with friends or your partner, or conflict with family.
changes in appetite – eating too much or too little, or losing or gaining weight without trying to.
changes in sleep patterns – not sleeping enough, or sleeping too much.
changes in coping – feeling overwhelmed or tired of life.
changes in thinking – more negative thoughts, or thoughts of self harm or suicide.

Looking after your mental health

If you are experiencing any of the above, there are things you can do to look after yourself.

Have a look at our common concerns and resources pages for more information, strategies and self help tips around sleep, low mood, anxiety, relationships and much more. These are always a good place to start and regardless of whether you need additional help, there’s always benefit to putting coping strategies in place for yourself.

Getting the right help and support when/if you need it

While it’s normal to occasionally experience some of these things (above), if you’re finding it hard to cope and your social life, school life and relationships are being affected, then it’s time to ask for help.

Getting help when problems develop can reduce the effects on your emotional wellbeing. Remember that you’re not alone and there many young people exploring and questioning their sexuality or gender identity. If you want to talk through any questions or concerns, there are people who can help and support you.

It’s important to find someone you can trust:

A friend, teacher, family member, wellbeing worker or school counsellor might be someone to start with.
Your GP and/or other health professionals experienced in working with gender diverse young people. Your doctor can talk to you about ways to cope and what support is available; they might also refer you to a specialist.
Local and national organisations can also offer you support. You will find links to these below and on our resource pages.

When would CAMHS be the right service for support?

A referral to CAMHS can be made by any professional if they feel further more specialist support would be helpful for you.

If your are referred to NHS Tayside CAMHS, please be assured that;

Our service wants to support anyone of any gender (however they self-identify) and anyone of any sexual orientation (however they identify).
We know that young people who identify as LGBTQ+ can be more at risk of experiencing difficulties with their mental health. It is important to us that young people in Tayside know that if they are referred to the service, they will be listened to, respected and supported, by staff who are skilled and trained to help with the difficulties they may be experiencing.