Bill Hall, a 71-year-old man living with HIV, exemplifies the struggles faced by many older LGBTQ+ individuals. He has endured years of physical and emotional hardships, including multiple illnesses, trauma from his past, and social isolation. This story highlights the growing challenges faced by this population, many of whom are navigating aging alone, with limited support systems and facing higher rates of mental and physical health issues.
KFF Health NewsDec 24 2024 Bill Hall, 71, has been fighting for his life for 38 years. These days, he's feeling worn out.
"It's really difficult to maintain a positive attitude when you're going through so much," said Hall, who works with Native American community organizations. "You become mentally exhausted." They face a daunting array of problems, including higher-than-usual rates of anxiety and depression, chronic stress, disability, and chronic illnesses such as heart disease, according to numerous research studies. High rates of smoking, alcohol use, and drug use — all ways people try to cope with stress — contribute to poor health.
In an AARP survey of 2,200 LGBTQ+ adults 45 or older this year, 48% said they felt isolated from others and 45% reported lacking companionship. Almost 80% reported being concerned about having adequate social support as they grow older. Related StoriesJeff Berry is executive director of the Reunion Project, an alliance of long-term HIV survivors. "Here people are who survived the AIDS epidemic, and all these years later their health issues are getting worse and they're losing their peers again," Berry said. "And it's triggering this post-traumatic stress that's been underlying for many, many years. Yes, it's part of getting older. But it's very, very hard.
When I first spoke to Nottingham in 2022, she described a post-traumatic-stress-type reaction to so many people dying of covid-19 and the fear of becoming infected. This was a common reaction among older people who are gay, bisexual, or transgender and who bear psychological scars from the AIDS epidemic.
LGBTQ+ Issues LGBTQ+ Aging Health Loneliness Mental Health Chronic Illness
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