CHECK Magazin - Gesundheitsmagazin für Männer No.9

Community
ESCAPISM AND ESCALATION
Whoever is out and about on the scene will
quickly think of someone who might not only
have a problem with alcohol, but other substances
too. Alcohol and drugs are rife and,
for some, have become part of the gay lifestyle.
Loneliness, social anxiety and the desire
to belong promote this. We have a problem
– but why is nobody talking about it?
Not only is the internalised shame great, but
so is the danger of further stigmatisation.
In addition, men generally use psychiatric,
psychotherapeutic and outpatient medical
services less often and tend to lack self-care.
Network studies show that they also have
fewer contacts for problems than women,
who tend to live in larger, more diverse social
networks.
Classic role models of strength,
dominance, emotional suppression
as well as carelessness and
hardness promote addictions.
Mental illnesses are often still seen as a
weakness, which is why men in particular
often try to hide mental problems. For the
most part, only the physical symptoms such
as liver cirrhosis or cancer are treated, but
not the mental illness. Classic role models of
strength, dominance, suppression of feelings
as well as carelessness and harshness not
only towards others, but also towards themselves
and their bodies can lead to a high
level of psychological strain and health problems
in men and promote addiction. Added to
this is the greater willingness to take risks in
adolescence and the greater risk of becoming
dependent the earlier you start drinking.
Peer pressure about substance use isn't just
a problem for straight boys. Adolescents are
particularly vulnerable to attempts to numb
emotions and experiences if they also suffer
from insecurities and possible self-esteem
problems because of their sexuality and do
not receive support for dealing with negative
emotions or traumatic experiences in a
healthy way.
IT'S OK AS LONG AS YOU FUNCTION!
But pressure to conform is also a risk factor
in adults. Drinking is part of normality –
especially among men – and is usually not
questioned as long as we function socially
and professionally. Alcohol is socially accepted
and firmly established as a drug and is
available anytime and anywhere. It is widely
used to reduce stress, even if it only provides
relaxation and exuberance in the short term
and the negative effects outweigh the positive
effects in the long term. Although alcoholics
cannot be stereotyped as they exist in all
walks of life and professions, from adolescence
to retirement age, stereotypical images
of (heterosexual) unemployed or homeless
alcoholics obscure a widespread disease.
In addition, the image of a colorful rainbow
world is created in the media, in which there
is no longer any discrimination or problems.
Politically, there is little interest in addressing
other LGBTI* issues. There is a lack of
German studies on the specific problems
faced by gay men and sexual minorities, and
above all there is a lack of innovative, target
group- specific and effective prevention and
treatment concepts.
The image of a colorful
rainbow world is created in
the media, in which there is
no longer any discrimination
or problems.
As a society, we can all do our part to ensure
that LGBTI* people will hopefully experience
less or no discrimination and stigma as well
as a supportive environment that is no longer
negatively impacting their health. Reality
shouldn't be so hard for anyone to endure
62 CHECK BERLIN #9