Love, Me
Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Pop star Dizz shares his story in “Love, Me,” a new series on depression in the LGBTQ+ community.
May 27 2021 12:51 PM EST
May 31 2023 2:41 PM EST
Directed by Kelly Teacher for Plus.
For Dizz, a member of the queer-centered pop band rIVerse, depression first entered his life at age 14.
“I had come out as gay to my family,” the musician says. “And the reaction to that was devastating. Most of my family immediately turned their backs and I remember my father said he knew he wasn’t mine. And that really was a turn in my life at that time and the depression and the suicidal thoughts started to creep in.”
Dizz shared his experiences with depression — and how he eventually found ways to manage it — as part of the new Pride Media series, “Love, Me.” The videos, appearing on Advocate.com, Out.com, and HIVPlusMag.com, hope to break the taboo of depression in the queer community and present tools for those with treatment-resistant depression. While the COVID-19 pandemic has initiated many stories in mainstream media about mental health, the toll of depression within the LGBTQ+ community is a tale seldom told, even though it’s pervasive.
“There is a stigma around seeking any kind of help professionally, with a psychiatrist or psychologist,” says Dizz, who compares the shame around mental health struggles with the self-blame that can come with an HIV diagnosis.
The widespread experience of depression underscores the need to bring the issue out of the darkness.
Statistics from the Human Rights Campaign show that one in three LGBQ adults live with a mental illness, compared to one in five among the general population — the disparity is even more pronounced among transgender adults, where nearly 40 percent reporting severe psychological distress at some point. Dizz’s experience as a teenager aren’t rare, either; 28 percent of LGBTQ+ youth reported feeling depressed most of the time.
The situation is not hopeless, Dizz says. Even though depression became a regular part of his life after his coming out, he’s found solace in bike-riding, making music, and commiserating with his bandmates and other members of his found family.
“The biggest lesson that I’ve learned about myself in all this, and how to deal with my struggles in more healthy ways moving forward, and what I’ve adopted to help me get me to this place is really just the power of vulnerability,” Dizz says. “Really just allowing yourself to be vulnerable and removing the façade and just speaking the truth. What is that you’re going through? What is it that you’re feeling? And just talk about it. The vulnerability, for me, was the key to finding that self-love.”
If you have or are contemplating suicide, please know there is a well of support out there to help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 can be reached 24 hours a day by people of all ages and identities. If you are a trans or gender-nonconforming person considering suicide, the Trans Lifeline can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The Trevor Project is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger). Trained counselors at the Trevor Project Lifeline can be reached 24/7 at (866) 488-7386, by texting START to 678678, or via the TrevorChat instant messaging service at TheTrevorProject.org/Help.
Latest Stories
How fitness coach Tyriek Taylor reclaims his power from HIV with self-commitment
September 19 2024 12:00 PM
Out100 Honoree Tony Valenzuela thanks queer and trans communities for support in his HIV journey
September 18 2024 12:00 PM
Kentucky bans conversion therapy for youth as Gov. Andy Beshear signs 'monumental' order
September 18 2024 11:13 AM
Why activist Raif Derrazi thinks his HIV diagnosis is a gift
September 17 2024 12:00 PM
Creator and host Karl Schmid fights HIV stigma with knowledge
September 12 2024 12:03 PM
Study finds use of puberty blockers safe and reversible, countering anti-trans accusations
September 11 2024 1:11 PM
Latinx health tips / Consejos de salud para latinos (in English & en espanol)
September 10 2024 4:29 PM
The Trevor Project receives $5M grant to support LGBTQ+ youth mental health in rural Midwest (exclusive)
September 03 2024 9:30 AM
Introducing 'Health PLUS Wellness': The Latinx Issue!
August 30 2024 3:06 PM
La ciencia detrás de U=U ha estado liberando a las personas con VIH durante años
August 23 2024 2:48 PM
Tratamiento y prevención del VIH por inyección: Todo lo que necesita saber
August 23 2024 2:41 PM
Sr. Gay World quiere asegurarse de que estés bien
August 23 2024 2:30 PM
Eureka is taking a break from competing on 'Drag Race' following 'CVTW' elimination
August 20 2024 12:21 PM
With a new case in Sweden, what is the new mpox outbreak and should you be concerned?
August 15 2024 4:48 PM
The freedom of disclosure: David Anzuelo's journey through HIV, art, and advocacy
August 02 2024 12:21 PM
From ‘The Real World’ to real life: How Danny Roberts thrives with HIV
July 31 2024 5:23 PM