Frome Valley Osteopaths

Support for the LGBTQ+ community is something that is very close to my heart, for obvious reasons. I came out in my mid 20s and I have been with my wife for the last decade. Being part of a community that is now around 2million people in the UK, means a shared experience in some way, an understanding of life away from the ‘norm’, although wonderfully there are more of us feeling able to be ourselves in the world, and less people that would intend to ‘other’ us, there is still often a sense of going against the grain and finding our way through.

We have certainly come a long way, until as recently as 1973 being homosexual was classed as a disorder in the Statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM) and being transgender was classed as gender identity disorder in the DSM until 2013. Many older LGBTQ people may still be acutely aware of the persecution and discrimination they are likely to have received throughout their lives. Even if people haven’t experienced this treatment personally, the collective memory can mean that fear of discrimination over sexual identity or gender may not have an age limit, leaving people reluctant to reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity.

So we are all human right, why would LGBTQ+ people need any specific kind of healthcare? This is the question I asked myself when I signed up for a course ran by the wonderful people at Oakley Coaching called ‘LGBTQ+ Healthcare: Key considerations for clinicians’, I found the course hugely validating as well as informative and eye opening. I live within this community but my experience is still limited to my own and close friends, and it was great to get a more inclusive picture. I would highly recommend it to anyone working in healthcare.

In the 2017 National LGBT survey of 108,000 people, 16% of survey respondents who accessed or tired to access public healthcare had a negative experience due to their sexual orientation and 38% had a negative experience because of their gender identity. The average wait times for appointments at gender identity clinics is 3-5 years with 80% of people trying to access them finding it difficult.

A common symptom of gender dysphoria: the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identity and their sex assigned at birth, is suicidal ideation. In the US 52% of trans and non binary youth sincerely considered killing themselves in 2020. These stats are similar in the UK. However there is evidence that suggests that family and community acceptance can reduce rates of suicide. This is where inclusive spaces can be life savers. Just because you aren’t anti something doesn’t mean you are pro ..

A lot of the push back around the care for Trans people and in particular for Trans youth is around the lack of understanding in the difference between hormone blockers, hormone treatment and surgery. These are three different things. Not all trans or non binary people will consider any, or all of the above and some will need to explore them all. Leaving space for people to consider all that might be right for them can also be life saving.

What about Frome valley Osteopaths?

We know that growing up LGBTQ+ means higher rates of some mental health conditions including eating disorders, depression and anxiety. We know that it is more likely to mean an experience of physical violence. We know that feeling safe in your own skin, let alone feeling safe with other people may be more difficult. We know that this can increase the likelihood of long term chronic health conditions. We know that different hormones can have an impact on how pain is perceived. We know that gender and sexuality are fluid, that exploration is part of life and in particular growing up. We know that gender dysphoria can be huge, that the impact on posture can be massive. We know that people wear binders etc and they can have a big impact on how our bodies work. We know that experiences of parenting may be different. That ageing may be different. We are open to hearing people and we believe people in their experience. We know that being LGBTQ+ isn’t all of you, but it’s important.

Mostly, this whole article was to say, as I have talked about so many times, that our nervous systems perception of ‘felt safety’ is a pre requisite to almost any healthy intervention. If you don’t feel safe with someone or in the space it will be harder for your body to benefit from any intervention. An experience of felt safety in itself can be healing for some. To expect to feel safe with someone is not asking too much.

Everyone is welcome here,

All the queer love

Lauren Manning BSc Hons Ost