LGBT Treatment Strategies

Substance Abuse Treatment Strategies Specific For LGBT Patients
Drug addiction is a problem that impacts certain communities at a much higher rate than elsewhere. The LGBT community is one of the most ravaged of all communities in the nation. Drug addiction rates are high and for many LGBT people, treatment can feel impossible. Thankfully, that's not the case: LGBT treatment strategies are becoming more and more prevalent around the nation.

Prevalence Of Substance Abuse In The LGBT Community
The unfortunate reality about the LGBT community is that it suffers from addiction at a very high rate. AmericanProgress.org reported that LGBT people used tobacco at a rate 200% higher than heterosexual or nontransgendered people. Alcohol use was as
Unfortunately, that has created a surfeit of LGBT people who suffer from addiction in a system that once lacked specialized treatments. Thankfully, more rehabilitation centers are either creating specialized programs for LGBT people.

Strategies That Have Shown Promise
The complexity of the average LGBT person's life makes drug rehabilitation strategies a particularly tricky problem to solve. Evidence-based interventions and treatments, such as 12-Step and cognitive-behavior therapy, may be enough for many LGBT people. However, deeper emotional problems may make these treatments less effective than they would otherwise be.

Any care strategy for LGBT people who suffer from an addiction must take into account both feminist and queer theory concepts. Feminist theory takes into account the unique problems faced by women in today's society, and in particular, lesbian women. Queer theory discusses how gender and sexual identification affect a person's life, particularly in an environment where gender and sexual norms are
These treatments, when paired with detoxification and other inpatient and outpatient care, have helped to overcome addiction in a large number of LGBT people.

Treating Concerns That Contribute To LGBT Addiction
LGBT drug rehabilitation centers and the strategies they use are focused on helping treat the underlying concerns that often contribute to the high usage and addiction rate among this group. People who identify as LGBT often experience a litany of heart-wrenching setbacks that can cause the kind of emotional pain and sense of loss that makes drug use so appealing as a form of self-medication.

For example, coming out of the closet can be both an emotionally satisfying and traumatic experience. If a person's family reacts poorly to their revelation or even rejects them, this can cause severe sorrow and even depression. And that depression is often treated by alcohol or various types of drugs, such as marijuana or even