Feeling isolated?

The social season has ended. With Midsumma, ChillOut and Melbourne Queer Film Festival all behind us, we are now left to relax and wind down.

Hopefully you had a chance to come and say ‘Hi’ to us at the events. One of the things I like the most about these events is that it gives the LGBTI community to come together and celebrate.

Socialising as a community gives people an opportunity to meet new people, make friends and broaden their social networks.

Why am I writing about this in a health article? Social isolation can have very negative health outcomes. A quick scan of the Staying Negative — www.stayingnegative.net.au — site will show you that many of the participants experienced a feeling of isolation at some point in their lives.

Some stories such as Michael’s — http://www.stayingnegative.net.au/current-stories/michael-1/ — talk about how being socially isolated created and reinforced a drug and alcohol — http://www.stayingnegative.net.au/issues/drugs-and-alcohol/ — problem.

Isolation can also impact on a person’s mental health and lead to depression. Having a support network, whether they be gay, straight or anywhere in between, is really important as it helps combat feelings of isolation and provides a sense of connectedness.

Community events such as Midsumma create an opportunity for people who may not have social networks in the LGBTI community to connect with the community. I remember when I had no gay friends and how it felt not to have anyone to talk to about the things I was going through.

Being able to connect with the community in other ways also allows people to share news and information about what is happening in the community.

If you are feeling socially isolated, the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre offers free peer education — http://www.vicaids.asn.au/peer-education-program — workshops. These workshops, aside from providing education, provide a great opportunity to meet new people and make friends.

We also offer counselling — http://www.vicaids.asn.au/counselling-services — which can help with your mental health if you feel you are struggling with feelings of isolation and depression.

As mentioned before, the Staying Negative — www.stayingnegative.net.au — site features the stories of many men who have struggled with isolation. These narratives give you the opportunity to read about their struggles with isolation and how they managed to overcome them.

While it is nice to wind down from a very social summer, I appreciate the value of socialising as a community. And while summer is almost over, that doesn’t mean it’s time to hibernate for winter. There are still plenty of opportunities and events where you can mingle with your fellow LGBTI community members.

To see what events are coming up, check out the Star Observer’s Events Calendar — https://starobserver.com.au/events — or follow @stayingnegtve — http://twitter.com/#!/stayingnegtve — on Twitter.

By ilan werbeloff