The Five Reasons Gays Are More Addicted

You may have heard the stats: Gay and transgender people are three times more likely to struggle with alcohol and drug addiction. While issues like marriage and discrimination laws dominate the headlines, as much as 30% of the LGBTQ+ community are suffering and even dying from this stigmatized disease. But why?

1) Society at a Young Age

The main problem that gay people face isn't their sexuality or their gender identity, but society's attitude towards it.

When you're young, and peers are bullying you for being gay, or your own family shuns you and sends you to conversion "therapy" (which still happens), it's going to have a long-term effect. While some people can move past the trauma, others are broken, damaged and confused. They immediately associate their first impression of being gay with negativity.
On the outside, they may be able to hide it and pretend to feel confident in their sexuality, but any kind of childhood trauma can be haunting. This makes it that much more likely for gay adolescents to experiment with drugs. They may be looking to fit in, to distract themselves from the pain of their conflict or to find comfort during early sexual experiences.

The issue is that using drugs or alcohol at such a young and easily influential age makes you five times more likely to get addicted. Because our brains don't fully develop until our mid-20s, doing drugs or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can cause significant and sometimes permanent damage.

Even if individuals don't turn to drugs, internalizing shame in adolescence is known to lead to severe issues like depression, self-harm, thoughts of suicide or social anxiety. These types of underlying mental illnesses make it much more likely for anyone (gay or not) to get addicted. In fact, 6.8 million people suffering from addiction also struggle with some form of mental illness, from temporary depression to bipolar disorder or PTSD.

Addiction makes these mental illnesses worse, and as you lose self-control, you may find yourself covering up your internal struggle with lies and deceit, even reducing yourself to stealing from your family. While embarrassed by these behaviors, addiction has the upper hand. This leads to a feeling of self-loathing which forces most to abuse harmful substances over and over again, creating the endless cycle that the disease is known for.

2) Gay Culture

Because of the lack of general acceptance, LGBTQ+ created a strong sense of community. While these havens are safe from the stigma of sexuality, they reinforce the stigma of addiction. Gay bars and parties typically involve drugs like ecstasy, cocaine, alcohol, and increasingly, meth.

Gay culture is most frequently cited as the core of the issue. The environment is welcoming and addictive in and of itself. And, like every other addicted population, the more you hang out with others that are addicted, the easier it becomes to convince yourself that your dangerous habit is acceptable.

3) Society as an Adult

Drinking and drugs aren't just a youth's problem. Gay and transgender people abuse substances and alcohol well into their 30s, 40s and 50s. Partly because it's more accepted as part of the lifestyle, but also because discrimination, sadly, continues well beyond bullying grade school kids.

The LGTBQ+ community faced the deadliest year on record in 2016, according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. Businesses can still fire a gay or transgender employee in 28 states. Even the everyday subtle fears like coming out to a new co-worker can cause mental stress - a contributing factor in developing addiction.

Additionally, family support is proven to be a critical factor in most addict's recovery. The lack of support or involvement from family members, who caused trauma in their youth, also makes it that much harder to overcome addiction long-term. Without intervention from loved ones, these individuals get stuck in active addiction for much longer, with harsher consequences.

4) Rejection of Mental Illness

Being gay or transgender has been classified as a mental illness in the past. Some health professionals continue to stick to this ridiculous idea, causing many LGBTQ+ to be personally misdiagnosed, denied treatment or forced to even undergo shame "treatments." These experiences discredit the entire field of medical and behavioral health in the eyes of many in the community.

Even if you personally trust in healthcare, you may not get the same support and encouragement to seek treatment and continue recovery from LGBTQ+ friends. Building a supportive drug-free social network is another critical factor in recovery. If drugs are still being used in the places you go and by the people you hang out with, your odds of overcoming addiction are slim.

5) The Belief That Treatment Won't Be Accommodating

It's true that not all treatment centers are adequately prepared to handle the unique issues of the LGTBQ+ community. In fact, nearly 20% of substance abuse counselors admitted it in a national study.

However, facilities like Ambrosia Treatment Center take extensive measures to ensure you feel comfortable - no matter if that's achieved by continuing hormone therapy, receiving gender-identifying housing, holding specialized therapy groups or through HIV-related testing and treatment.

Whether considering themselves gay or straight, many people with addiction are struggling with their sexual preferences or sexual traumas. Treatment is designed as a private, non-judgmental place of healing. The thoughts that you may be embarrassed about, the ones that haunt you, will be brought to the forefront, discussed and dealt with accordingly in order to allow you to reach a place of self-acceptance and self-worth.

You should never feel alone in your battle against addiction. Just know that it's OK to ask for help.

Call (888) 885-4791 now.