LGBT Drug Treatment Blog

Gay bishop is treated for alcoholism
Anne Saunders, Associated Press
published Tuesday, February 14, 2006

CONCORD, N.H. — The Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson, has started treatment for alcoholism.

“I am writing to you from an alcohol treatment center where on Feb. 1, with the encouragement and support of my partner, daughters and colleagues, I checked myself in to deal with my increasing dependence on alcohol,” Robinson wrote in an e-mail to clergy on Monday that was released Tuesday by the Diocese of New Hampshire.

Robinson’s assistant, the Rev. Tim Rich, said Tuesday there was no crisis that led to Robinson’s decision to seek treatment but rather a growing awareness of his problem.

In his letter, Robinson said he had been dealing with alcoholism for years and had considered it “as a failure of will or discipline on my part, rather than a disease over which my particular body simply has no control, except to stop drinking altogether.”

Rich said the news surprised him and many other clergy.

“We did not see it in any way impact his ministry in the diocese,” Rich said.

The Rev. David Jones, rector of Robinson’s home church, St. Paul’s in Concord, said he had never seen any sign that Robinson had a problem with alcohol.

Robinson was elected bishop of New Hampshire in 2003 and confirmed by the national church, causing an upheaval not only in the Episcopal Church, but the worldwide Anglican Communion of which it is part.

I looked long and hard to find an addiction treatment center or alcohol program that specialized in treating lesbians. First they wanted to send me to an all women’s addiction treatment program, which was like giving candy to a baby. They didn’t even have a lesbian addiction program. My family just assumed, they treated women, so they could treat me. I told them that I would go to a gay addiction program before I went there. I wanted to get better and I didn’t need any distractions.

I finially found an addiction treatment program through recovery connection. They referred me to a program that had a component specifically for gays and lesbians. From the moment I walked in those doors, I felt at home. I know the whole world isn’t gay ( unfortunately) but my recovery had to start somewhere I felt safe.

Finially, Gay Alcohol Treatment !!

For many years there was little or no drug addiction or alcoholism treatment for gays, lesbians or bisexuals. Yes, any drug rehab would provide alcoholism treatment for them, but were they getting their clinical and emotional needs met, did they feel safe and secure? The answers to these questions were, no, not in most cases. Most gay alcoholics or gay addicts reported feeling out of place, fearful, unwilling to share their true self when they were in drug rehab which was mostly heterosexual.

I am excited to say, drug rehabs and alcohol programs have come a long way. Most drug rehabs and alcohol treatment programs that advertise treatment for gays and lesbinas, have as a minimum, a component capable of addressing their needs. The problem is distinguishing between drug rehabs and alcohol treatment programs that just advertise and drug rehabs that are actually capable of treating gay alcoholics and gay addicts.

Like I did, you might try www.recoveryconnection.com for additional information of gay alcohol trreatment or lesbian alcohol treatment.

Posted by Childress on September 4th, 2006

The following article from the Glascow Evening Times blames David Steel’s death on Ecstasy, but it’s clear that there was much more at work within his body when he died.

A GLASGOW addiction psychiatrist has been accused of hosting a drug and drink fuelled gay party during which a man died.

Dr Clint Tatchell, 37, allegedly wrote a prescription for the tranquilliser Diazepam then misled police by tidying up his flat after David Steel, a former Mr Gay Glasgow, was found dead in his bed.

A General Medical Council fitness-to-practise hearing in London was told Mr Steel’s body was discovered at Dr Tatchell’s flat in Glasgow on September 21, 2003. Mr. Steel, 30, of the city’s Ingram Street, who died of an ecstasy overdose, had also taken heroin, cocaine and Diazepam in a binge that began two days before.

Dafydd Enoch, for the GMC, told the hearing: “The party was not just fuelled by drink, although there was vodka, beer, champagne and alcopops drunk. We say it was fuelled by drugs, certainly in Mr Steel’s case.

“Dr Tatchell orchestrated a thorough tidy up of the flat before police arrived following Mr Steel’s death. He had just found a dead body in his bed, he must have realised he should have touched nothing. What did he have to hide?”

The insane irony of this story is that Tatchell is an addiction psychiatrist. He therefore knows professionally the effects of this much drug-taking. If I were the prosecutor, I would go for whatever the English equivalent of first degree murder is, because the case can be made that he had knowledge and forethought.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 4th, 2006 at 6:08 pm and is filed under Alcohol, Cocaine, Prescription drugs, Ecstasy, Charges & Trials. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

I went into a drug rehab program two years ago for treatment of a crystal meth addiction. While in rehab, I went to all of the groups and did my assisgnments. As hard as it was to detox from the meth, it was even harder to keep my secret. As the days after detox passed and my mind started to clear all I can remember everyone saying was honesty…You have to be honest. My whole life I never trusted anyone and now they tell mye my recovery from meth addiction was contingent upon me being honest. They would never find out my secret.

Then one day I was sitting with another guy in drug rehab and he shared with me that he was having problems with honesty too but he finially came clean with his therapist and felt a million times better. He said he felt less shame and felt more a part of. He then asked me do you want to know what I told him? I said it didn’t really matter, but if he wanted to tell me it was fine……He looked me square in the eye and said…..I told him I thought I was gay………I almost fell over….I wanted to use more crystal meth…..I wanted to run. The shame and fear must have been written all over my face…..but instead of me getting honest, I said that is great. He said yep, if life great…..I am gay, in a drug rehab, an addict and an alcoholic……and then he laughed and I could see he felt free. One day maybe I willhave the courage, but until then………….

Breaking the Grip: Treating Crystal Meth
Addiction Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Recent studies indicate wide usage of crystal methamphetamine by gay and bisexual men. Many healthcare providers, however, are not well equipped to recognize crystal meth use by their gay and bisexual male patients and lack sufficient knowledge about treatment options and how best to refer these patients to culturally competent treatment programs. For this reason, GLMA is currently conducting a study entitled Breaking the Grip: Treating Crystal Meth Addiction Among Gay and Bisexual Men, that is examining crystal meth use in the gay and bisexual male community.

A central part of GLMA’s mission is to ensure that all healthcare providers have the skills they need to provide culturally competent care to LGBT patients. Through Breaking the Grip, we seek to disseminate unbiased information about the risks of crystal meth use and to equip healthcare providers to recognize crystal use among their gay and bisexual male patients and to be able to refer these patients to appropriate care.

Our study has two parts: first, we are conducting focus groups in five cities where crystal methamphetamine use is thought to be widespread. The focus groups will be made up of healthcare providers who see a large number of gay and bisexual male patients. Second, we are analyzing the scientific literature to distill and summarize what’s currently known about crystal meth use by gay and bisexual men.
The focus groups and literature review aim to answer the following questions: (1) How serious a problem is crystal meth use among gay and bisexual men? (2) What are the most promising options for treating crystal meth addiction among gay and bisexual men? and (3) What can and should health care providers do to get gay and bisexual men who are addicted to crystal meth into treatment? The outcome of the study will be a white paper that addresses these questions.

For additional information on gay drug addiction refer to www.recovery connection.org or call 800-511-9225.

A gay drug rehab or gay alcohol treatment program usually has the same services as any other drug rehab or alcohol treatment program, except their will be a focus on gay specific issues. These issues may include, but not be limited to, coming out, living in a heterosexual world, development of new social networks, prejudice and sexuality.

The addiction treatment or drug rehab services are generally the same. They will provide group therapy, individual therapy, educational classes, medica detox, psychiatric evaluations,12 step groups and family therapy. Depending on the quality of the gay drug rehab, they may provide additional focus on recreational therapy, spiritual development, nutrition or physical fitness.

For additonal information on gay drug rehab or gay alcohol treatment programs go to www.recoveryconnection.org

The answer to this question can be quite complex. There are no medical tests, prescription medicatons or stereotypes that determines a person’s sexuality. Most people tend to discover their sexuality through their feelings and experience. For definitions regarding sexual preferences you may wish to go to www.lakeviewhealth.com. Most people define gay as having a very strong bond or sexual attraction to another man, lesbian to another woman.

During you r discovery period, you may ask yourself several questions regarding your sexuality; Do you feel an emotional bond with a man? Are you physically attracted to men? Do you prefer sex with a man?

I am glad to see someone is taking such an interest in the gay, lesbian community, especially as it relates to addiction treatment in the gay community. For so long addiction treatment for the gay community has been on the back burner and drug rehab facilities never recognized any special needs we might have had. A gay addiction treatment program is awesome and any motivation you can give to any other drug rehabs to become sensitive to the gay lesbian population, I totally support.

Imagine a Heterosexual in a Gay Addiction Treatment Program

When you question the need for a gay drug rehab or gay addiction treatment program, one might aske themselves a question, How well do you think a heterosexual would do in an all gay drug rehab or alcohol treatment program. Do you think they might feel uncomfortable, out of place, scared, judged or feel safe? Do you think they would be focused on addiction treatment or thinking of leaving the drug rehab? Do you think they might resist being honest and set themselves up for relapse? I think it is fair to say that as uncomfortable as a straight person might feel in a gay addiction treatment program, the gay or lesbian would feel in a heterosexual addiction treatment program.

Do you have to have a special addiction treatment program for gays and heterosexuals?

The answer is no, you don’t have to have specialty gay addiction treatment programs and heterosexual addiction treatrment programs, for a person to recover. People can recovery in any type of program they choose to, but the environment goes a long way towards making a person feel comfortable enough to take advantage of the drug rehab or addiction treatment program. The truth is, if a person wants to recover more than drink, if they are a a point of desperation and willing to put their recovery ahead of anything else, than recovery is possilbe anywhere. Today, there are gay drug rehabs if a person chooses to go take advantage just as a gay person may choose to go to any other drug rehab or addcition tretment center in the country.

For additional information on gay addiction treatment or gay addiction treatment centers, you may want to go to www.recoveryconnection.org.