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Coming out as a risk period for using addictive substances
DĚDIČOVÁ, Barbora
The process of self-acceptance of and dealing with homosexual orientation is called coming out. The coming out can be defined as an internal psychical conflict between internalized homophobia and also newly identified or at least significantly notified own sexual orientation. It this period of time the risk of social discrimination and psychopathological phenomenons, including depressions, suicides, and drugs abuse, increases. (Weiss, 2010) In the paper, we focused on the coming out process as the risk period for drugs abuse.The paper consists of two parts, theoretical and practical. In the theoretical part, we explain the coming out term, we provide its definition and its phases, which are pre-coming out, the coming out itself, exploration phase, partnership phase, and integration. We search for information about coming out as the risk period in literature. Prior to the description of coming out, we have to briefly describe the current perception of homosexuality, and homophobia. The following chapter focuses on identity, its development, family identity, gender identity, and homosexual identity and its phases, which are identity confusion, identity comparison, tolerance of identity, acceptance of identity and taking pride in the identity. The relation of the coming out and drug abused is connected with the identity acceptance or denial. The last chapter of the theoretical part focuses on drugs, their classification and effects. It also focuses on drugs abuse between homosexuals in general, and on drugs abuse during coming out. In the practical part, focused on coming out perception, we used qualitative research strategy, questioning, and narrative dialogue to express the complex process of coming out. The population sample was selected using the purposive sampling together with the snowball method, the selection criteria was coming out experience and willingness to cooperate. Gathered data were analysed using a clustering method and presented in tables for clarity. The target of the paper was to describe subjective drug abuse experiences between homosexual men during their coming out. The following research question was formulated - Is the coming out the risk period for drugs abuse for homosexuals? During the evaluation of the interviews we found some topics repeating - feelings during the coming out, reasons for drugs abuse, and family. The repeating feelings are fear, sense of guilt, self-hatred, and low self-esteem. The reasons for drug abuse during coming out are gang integration, game, self-confidence increase, and the coming out realization itself. On the family level of the subjects, homosexuality tolerance is low, the subjects distrust the families and family communication is poor. The risk level of coming out period towards drugs abuse is also influenced by the social environment, which includes porn, gay bars, school, internet, and religion. We found that homosexuals using drugs during their coming out subjectively go through coming out more easy compared to the ones not using drugs. A hypothesis was formulated from this conclusion, i.e. drugs usage during coming out helps to easily undergo the coming out. This conclusion cannot be generalized, as it may be influenced by many factors, for example too selective sample - our sample didn't include subjects which didn't use drugs during their coming out. It would be interesting to figure how these people dealt with their coming out. The conclusion is opposed in the discussion section. A practical utilization of the paper is seen in better knowledge of the professional and non-professional public. Families with homosexual member can utilize it as well. The more we know, the more we are able to do, and also in a better and more effective way. The paper can be also used as the starting point for following researches, focused for example on social services provided to the homosexual minority.
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