Mental Health and Asexuality

It's Mental Health Awareness Month, which means it's the perfect time to talk about the intersection of #asexuality and mental health (or at least, start that conversation--it's a long one!). Asexuals face unique obstacles when it comes to acknowledging mental health concerns and accessing appropriate help.
Have you ever had an experience like the one in the video? Do you have advice for someone struggling with their own mental health?
Resources:
nami.org/Get-Involved/Awarene...
www.betterhelp.com/about/
www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-...
Ace-specific communities:
www.asexuality.org/en/
/ welcomeaces
/ asafeaceplace
/ asexual
/ asexuality
/ demisexuality
Want to see even more ace​ stories? Follow @chat_ace on Instagram and Twitter:
/ chat_ace
/ chat_ace
#mentalhealthandasexuality #asexual​ #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #LGBTQIA #asexualpride #asexualvisibility #asexualacceptance

[@MaryanaMaskar]

I had a very similar experience with my therapist. She seemed to be otherwise professional and helped me deal with a lot of boundary issues and toxic family relationships, so I stayed with her for 6.5 years. However, when it came to me not having sex at all she sounded exactly like your therapist. It was so harmful, so detrimental for my mental health, so invalidating, but I just couldn't put my finger on what was wrong. I tried to "work" on myself and my "rejection of intimacy" for a long time. It's not like anything changed. I made a lot of progress in all other mental health areas, and zero "progress" in my sexual attraction. Thank God, now I know better, but only because my self-preservation finally kicked in.

[@lemurlover7975]

I had a similar experience with a male therapist at a university named Jason Siewert. Only he told me to forget about being raped by my stepdad and landlord and ignore any trauma I had, give up on asexuality, and go have lots of lesbian sex with lots of people. His solution for my PTSD of being raped by violent men who tried to murder me and my current interpersonal struggles with my female roommates in my dorm was for me to become a super promiscuous lesbian person. He said because my mom was raping me when I was a child, this meant I was secretly a lesbian and he needed to write on his resume that he helped a lesbian, since he hadn't done that yet. Fortunately, I did not question my asexuality, but my depression and PTSD got a whole lot worse after talking to him. Maybe don't see male therapists? They buy in to stereotypes too much and want to act like misogynists and victim blame you and try to find some way to force you to become promiscuous. So they look good or can fantasize to please themselves. I think he hated that I was celibate too. That guy made me cry by what he said. I reported him to the place where you report patient abuse/malpractice, but they didn't do anything. If you ever go to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, avoid the counseling center cause they suck and they will hurt you. I told the other staff that he was being mean and nasty and hurting me, and all they did was laugh at me and tell me to go away. So I went away to cry alone.

[@tracphonevirtualmagazine]

You sure it just wasn't help that wasn't able to work for your very rare condition.

[@tomisaacson2762]

I've been questioning my sexuality for so long and couldn't escape this anxious self-doubt that something must be deeply wrong with me that I had never pursued a sexual or romantic relationship. I never even considered that I was ace because I thought being ace meant having no libido. First I chalked it up to social anxiety and depression, but nothing changed after that got better. I just didn't want to pursue a sexual relationship MORE. Thank you for this video 🙏

[@elliesconcerts]

wow...I don't know why no ones commented on this, but this was such a great video! you literally covered everything! thank you! x

[@dawntripp1974]

Thank you for posting this video! I just confirmed I am Ace last year at 47 years old! So many years feeling broken and odd. I have battled depression since I was 18 and anxiety since I was 5. I so wish I would have known I was asexual sooner so I wouldn’t have suffered all of these years! So glad I found you and other Ace KZbinrs. Now I feel not so alone any more.

[@yurin2200]

you’re a random person i am seeing online but i am so proud of u coming this far! you’re so inspiring

[@soyunbonus]

I'm 40 and just digesting what is being ace. Hope you're doing fine nowadays! Big hug!

[@lesedintuli340]

It's sad that people say that you have to have a problem because of your orientation

[@Desy.Ginting]

don't know why youtube's algo suggest your video and i'm not even ace. but i hope you stop seeing that therapist. i meant that kind of suggestion is the types of suggestion that everybody could find from family or friends without any education and/or money.