Shocked by his sexuality and failed attempts to alter it, Thomas turned to drastic means involving substance abuse and addiction to manage his identity crisis. While on the brink of a suicide mission, a near-death encounter inspired a new spiritual experience that gave Thomas “the ability to manage his addiction… [and also] gave him a new clarity in his perception of God” (Barton 70). Even though Thomas did not follow through with his intent to kill himself, he still adopted destructive means to achieve a sense of comfort with his identity. Because of the way this scenario occurred, it is classified as a dysfunctional coping technique as it almost cost him his life. In contrast, Joshua approached his situation more harmlessly, surrounding himself with a positive environment that helped educate and enlighten his view of homosexuality. He quickly dealt with it by joining the “Bulldog Christian Fellowship, quickly surrounding himself with a group of Christian friends…began reading gay literature about Christianity to cultivate a positive gay Christian identity” (Barton 2012: 74-75). Compared to Thomas, Joshua has utilized the plethora of student services available which have helped expand his support system as well as something new