If you’ve never been persecuted or oppressed because of your beliefs, ethnicity, or gender, it’s hard to put yourself in the shoes of those who are. Many of us prefer to believe that over the last one hundred years or so, the world has learned from its past mistakes. But the reality is that violence and oppression are a daily part of life for thousands of people.

Even those who are trying to better themselves face challenges because of marginalization. For example, trying to find a gay-friendly rehab facility to overcome addiction is often difficult, but facing discrimination while you’re at your lowest can set even the strongest recovery back significantly.

When you feel like you’re under attack for something that you are, you’re left with mental health damage that can take your whole life to recover from. That’s the burden of being marginalized — pushed to the side and made to feel as though you either don’t matter or you are a hindrance to society. This psychological reaction does substantial damage to a person, and we’ll discuss those consequences here.

Your Stress and Anxiety is Higher

An increase in anxiety diagnoses since the pandemic has trended globally, but for those who feel marginalized, it has always been a part of life. When you are always concerned about discrimination and personal attacks on your mental or physical self, your fight-or-flight adrenal glands are on alert, making your stress levels high and leading to chronic health problems.

The average person who does not experience consistent discrimination has a stress level of about 5.0 out of 10, while those who undergo regular marginalization rate a 6.4. And psychologically speaking, when you expect to be discriminated against, that feeling of worry and anticipation can be just as damaging as the actual act of discrimination. At some point, it can change how you plan or make decisions as you’re consciously and subconsciously aware of other people’s behaviors.

Your Self-Esteem Diminishes

When you are always told that you aren’t good enough or you don’t fit in, eventually, those words and the behaviors that go along with them make their way into your psyche. This develops into low self-esteem, and you begin to believe what those who are belittling you say.

Because you can’t do anything about your gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other differences, you begin to feel guilty and shameful. Rather than “offend” others with your presence or risk attack, you stay away from society and become introverted. This damage to your self-esteem decreases your chances of living a successful, productive, and happy life.

Mental Health Matters

The overall impact of marginalization isn’t a national problem. It expands to global concerns, and when an individual leaves one place in search of safety, only to find more people waiting to attack them, the psychological burden becomes even more damaging. If you feel like discrimination and marginalization are impacting your ability to feel satisfied and happy in life, it’s vital that you seek help. Your mental health matters, and you are worthy, regardless of any factors that make you “different” from others.