Navigating the modern healthcare system is notoriously difficult for all of us. Everyone has a horror story, but all everyone really wants is fair treatment and the respect they deserve. For transgender and nonbinary people, going to see a doctor, dentist, or any kind of health care practitioner feels particularly fraught with risk. How will I be received? Will the doctors take my concerns seriously?

These worries are well-founded and can sometimes get more troubling. A transgender or nonbinary person may even fear for their personal safety even when speaking to a medical practitioner. This sounds impossible for many, if not most, of the mainstream world. Sadly, such fear is real.

Being a parent is challenging—no matter what. One of the biggest challenges is expectations. When you have a kid, you allow yourself to imagine how YOU see them living in the world. There’s nothing wrong with this as long as you’re not trying to control their choices. Inevitably, your child will set out on their own path in their own way. You, as a good parent, will do your best to understand and support.

If your child is LGBTQIA+, the scenario is similar but different. After all, most other choices a kid can make would not have the same potential for trouble. We live in a divided society; thus, being an LGBTQIA+ parent requires even more commitment and strength.

There are many elements that add up to creating a healthy relationship. For example, you need to feel mutual respect and trust. Also, honest communication is a must. Drug addiction has the potential to alter all three of those factors. For the addict, the overriding desire to get high takes precedence over everything else.

As a result, someone in the throes of drug addiction may not be trustworthy. They may treat their partner disrespectfully, and trust feels like a distant memory. In the name of inspiring you to get the help you need, let’s further break down the basic ways drug addiction can affect your relationship.

Yes, it has been shown that people with a family history of addiction can be at higher risk of addiction themselves. But this is far, far from a predetermined outcome. Countless factors are at play here—ranging from where you live, how you were raised, and the friends you chose. The “how you were raised” part is front and center in this post. Your child stands a much better chance at evading the perils of addiction if you, as their parent, play an active and positive role. Not sure how to do that? Well, then, let’s break it down.

To sum up trauma treatment in a word, it’s processing. Of course, it’s more complicated than a single word, but processing is the goal. In Part 1 of this series, we defined trauma and listed its many versions. We discussed how it happens and what the potential health fallout can be. The final section was called “Trauma Can Be Processed.”

This is precisely what we will talk about now. Upon learning the often ugly details behind trauma, it is critical to grasp that healing does happen. Trauma can be, and is usually, resolved. So, let’s do a deeper dive into this, well, “process.”

According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster.” But this definition barely scratches the surface of this complex topic. We all regularly encounter potentially traumatic events. Whether or not those stressful events translate into long-term trauma depends on the individual.

Either way, roughly 50 percent of the world’s population will suffer from trauma at least once in their lifetimes. When that trauma occurs during childhood, it can lead to a wide range of emotional and physical issues as the child becomes an adult.

Grief can have a profound yet deceptive impact on the body. We expect to feel sad, lonely, lost, or confused. But how many folks associate, say, digestive issues or muscle aches with mourning? Even more so, fatigue is an almost universal hallmark of grief. While mourning, you may feel tired all the time.

Grief fatigue is real, and it demands our full attention. Well-meaning friends and family members tell you “stay strong” and “move on.” Even if this was good advice (it’s not), what if you lack the energy to even get through basic daily chores and tasks?

Within the LGBTQIA+ community, progress has been made. Let’s never deny that or miss the opportunity to celebrate. However, stark realities still exist. For example, roughly 83 percent of LGBTQIA+ people hide their orientation from all or almost all the people in their lives. So much more work needs to be done.

An excellent place to start that work is the development of intersectional support. Inequality and discrimination both transcend any single issue. Awareness of such intersectionality allows for the scenario in which oppressed people can connect and work together for justice.

If a person changes their gender expression, identity, or both over time, this is called gender fluidity. The inclusion of the word “fluidity” implies that such changes may continue. In fact, the changes can be steady. For example, a person could express themselves in a masculine way in one setting but in a more feminine way in another setting. This is one of the ways “gender fluid” differs from “transgender.”

Being gender fluid (also called “genderqueer”) does not automatically imply a particular sexual orientation. Identity and expression are not connected to who you are attracted to. Also, people who are gender fluid often use neutral pronouns like they/them/theirs.

During Pride Month, it feels like there are rainbows everywhere. Businesses—from massive corporations to the mom-and-pop shop on the corner—are showing support. Or perhaps, they are just performing support. Is it an attempt at representation, or is it marketing? How can you really tell?

There are more people than ever with open minds and hearts. But this does not change the fact that some people and groups will only pretend to be an ally. It is a form of virtue signaling. It is also a way to increase business or personal prestige. The hope is that you can distinguish them from genuine allies.

Divorce is not uncommon. It’s considered normal enough that we have jokes, books, movies, and more dedicated to the general topic. Much of this content focuses on the potentially bitter feelings of the former partners. For certain, this is not an unusual outcome. But nowhere near enough time and energy are put toward appreciating and analyzing how complex this scenario can be for the children involved.

Whether they are kindergartners or high schoolers, kids will likely display some strong emotions, new behaviors, and changes in how they interact with their parents. Even though this is expected, it’s helpful to be prepared for it.