It may not look like it, but LGBTQ+ individuals are at a higher risk of opioid abuse. Studies show that the community is twice as likely as their heterosexual peers to develop a substance use disorder. Moreover, the National Institute on Drug Abuse states that nearly 9% of sexual minority adults reported opioid misuse in the past year. Compared to the 3.8% of that of heterosexual adults, this is a lot.
Why is this happening? The LGBTQ+ community faces unique challenges that contribute to higher rates of substance use, from discrimination and stigma to mental health struggles and barriers to affirming healthcare.
In the following sections, we’ll explore the challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals face with opioid addiction and how you can get into LGBTQ rehab.
Challenges Facing The LGBTQ+ Community
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, your tendencies of opioid abuse are more about your daily struggle than just drug use.
Social Issues
You undergo a combination of social stigmatization, discrimination, and mental health challenges. You’ve felt rejected by family, religious institutions, and society. For instance, you’ve experienced housing instability, workplace bias, and unequal access to healthcare. The worst part is that you are only treated this way because of who you love.
Mental Health
The results of the discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. As a result of all of this combined, you may lean toward opioids to numb the emotional pain.
Inaccessibility And Lack Of Inclusivity
Furthermore, even if you do decide to undergo rehab in Portland, Oregon, for example, getting treatment isn’t always easy. Some rehabs don’t consider the unique challenges that you and your community undergo. It would be best to make research beforehand of the addiction treatment centers that cater to your needs.
Importance Of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Rehab
LGBTQ+ inclusive rehab centers understand who you are and what you’re going through. They ensure that you have:
A Safe Space
You don’t have to worry about judgment, misgendering, and discrimination within the facility. And instead of simply treating your addiction, they also address the issues that may have led you to opioid abuse in the first place.
Culturally Competent Staff
LGBTQ+ inclusive rehab centers also have culturally competent staff. They’re trained to understand the challenges that you face. This includes dealing with your trauma from family rejection, anxiety over coming out, and the stress of living in a discriminatory world. The staff respects and treats you as a person, not as the odd one out.
Components Of Effective Opioid Addiction Treatment
Here are some components of an effective opioid addiction treatment:
Evidence-Based Approaches
The most effective opioid addiction treatments involve evidence-based approaches tailored to the LGBTQ+ community. This means the inclusion of therapies that recognize the impact of discrimination, trauma, and identity-related stress on your addiction.
Your treatment plan will also have a combination of medical support, therapy, and peer support.
Medication-Assisted Treatment for opioid abuse
Your treatment plan may also include buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone to help reduce your withdrawal symptoms and cravings. As an LGBTQ+ individual, these medications will help stabilize your mind as you may face anxiety and depression alongside your addiction.
Therapy
LGBTQ+ inclusive therapy takes into account experiences you’ve gone through, such as family rejection, internalized stigma, and social discrimination. Cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-informed therapy, and affirmative therapy are some of the approaches that can tackle both your addiction and emotional struggles.
Group therapy may also be a part of your treatment plan.
Consideration Of Mental Health
Opioid abuse is likely more than just the drugs. As an LGBTQ+ individual, health professionals acknowledge that you’re coping with something deeper. Whether it’s depression, anxiety, or PTSD, mental health conditions are known to be common across the community. A good treatment plan will address these alongside your addiction.
Building Community Support
Having a strong support system will greatly benefit your recovery progress. People who understand you, see you and uplift you remind you that you are not going through this alone. For many LGBTQ+ individuals, family rejection, healthcare discrimination, and the lack of safe spaces can be incredibly isolating.
With a community, however, it can become easier to stay on track in recovery because you now have a judgment-free space for your experiences, struggles, and milestones. In these spaces, you have a chosen family that accepts you for who you are.
LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations also work to create better access to addiction treatment, mental health treatment, and safe spaces. They may provide resources to reduce discrimination and networks so you can find the care you need. Volunteering and participating in these organizations can give you a sense of purpose and belonging, both of which can be crucial to your overall recovery.
In Conclusion
The good news is that you don’t have to go through it alone. LGBTQ+ inclusive rehab centers can provide you with sensitive and culturally competent care that addresses both your addiction and your underlying struggles. Medication-assisted treatment, therapy, and peer support also give you meaningful connections and stability.
Going through addiction as an LGBTQ+ individual can be challenging, but it’s certainly not impossible with the right care. If you’re looking for LGBTQ+ rehabs in Oregon, contact us at Cielo Treatment Center, and we’ll be there to see you shine!
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