Hi all, I've been dealing with mental illness for about 8 years and I'm really struggling to form lasting relationships (platonic and otherwise) in the LGBT community. The majority of my close friends have also been diagnosed with severe mental illness but very few are LGBT. Despite their understanding and openness, it would be great to have more people with shared experience in that area. The problem is I'm still struggling a lot and hospitalization/group homes are an active part of my life. I also can't really go to typical venues (read alcohol) because of a short history of substance abuse-ish behavior; not something I want to get involved in again. I want to find more ways to meet others in the community but am really scared as it's going to be pretty apparent how unconventional (not in the good way) my life is right now. Any advice would be great. Thanks!
Depending on the area in which you live, there could be several options or very few. I'd say you should search the web for any local LGBT intramural sports leagues/social groups (like card games)/ events (like gay rodeos) and try to make a connection there. Other than that, there are several LGBT forums/chat sites/sub-reddits you could use until you find something more concrete.
