Pic: Alex Jackman/ Unsplash

Is coming out a one-time process?&nbsp;
Now let&rsquo;s dial back and imagine that someone has indeed come out of the closet to the people in their life, does that mean that they aren&rsquo;t &lsquo;closeted&rsquo; anymore? It does not - being in the closet or being out of it is a decision that individuals take every day, with different people they meet every day. It is naturally a process that never ends. The process can be charted into six stages that not everyone but most individuals go through.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Stage 1 - Identity confusion&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&darr;
Stage 2 - Identity Comparison&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&darr;
Stage 3 - Identity tolerance&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&darr;
Stage 4 - Identity Acceptance&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&darr;
Stage 5 - Identity Pride&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&darr;
Stage 6 - Identity synthesis&nbsp;

6 stages to coming out (Cass, 1979)

Pic: Canva

The flipside of coming out&nbsp;
While coming out or not coming out is a personal choice, certain studies suggest that individuals on the LGBTQ spectrum have lower stress levels and a smaller chance of depressive symptoms if they&rsquo;d come out to friends and family as compared to those who kept their sexual orientation a secret. That being said, I feel it still largely depends on an individual&rsquo;s support system, acceptance by society, and the environment around them that dictates decisions like these. There are both risks and benefits involved with coming out that can be evaluated before making a call.&nbsp;
Certain challenges that are involved for people who do not come out include feelings of stress, isolation from others, and loneliness. They might also not be able to show their affections publicly for their partner, leaving them with a sense of inauthenticity. While coming out is recommended for better identity integration, coming out of the closet is still primarily an individual choice, and there&rsquo;s no right or wrong way to do it. But one can still think about certain things before taking this decision, like asking these questions to yourself -&nbsp;
&nbsp;
What would I say to someone to whom I come out to?&nbsp;
What would I expect them to say or react to this?&nbsp;
What are some of the good/bad responses I may hear?&nbsp;
How do I want to come out to them?
&nbsp;

So what should we do?
While a lot of importance is paid to coming out of the closet, this experience still largely is just a term that came into existence around the early 20th century. It remains a very personal process where exploring it or not exploring it is within the ambit of an individual&rsquo;s life. Sexuality is someone&rsquo;s own creation and should always remain so, irrespective of how they choose to describe it!&nbsp;
Nonetheless, we at Lissun are always listening to you, it is okay to come out in whatever way you want to. You are just a click away from seeking help if you want to and have a safe space with our queer-affirmative practice at Lissun.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

What is coming out of the closet?
To stay in the closet or to come out - while some of us might always ask this question to ourselves and others, it is complex to understand how one feels in that situation. Navigating this territory is most of all confusing beyond being isolated. What exactly is coming out of the closet? It simply means that someone has not come out to the people in their life about their gender identity or their sexuality, or both.

Coming out: A big step towards acceptance.