The process of coming out, for the first time, to family and friends can be overwhelming and emotionally taxing. Sometimes people who are coming out describe feelings of being “drained” or have limited or no “energy.” Feelings of being drained can be compounded because we often choose to come out to the people who are closest to us. Normally when you are dealing with difficult emotional issues in your life, these are the people that you would turn to. Sometimes, these people may enter a period of adjustment before they are emotionally able to function as a support system. This adjustment period can feel very lonely for the person who is coming out.
Coming out is a courageous and often difficult choice. We often think of coming out as a single momentous event. However, in reality, coming out is more of a life-long process. Whenever we encounter new people in our lives, start a new job, or move to a new place we find ourselves wondering how safe it is for us to disclose who we are. Sometimes we feel stuck, caught between those in our community who believe that we have a responsibility to be out, and an environment that may seem homophobic and hostile. For some individuals this process can lead to a high level of anxiety. Counseling can help to alleviate and often eliminate this anxiety by examining and sorting out all the messages you hear and create about who you are.
