LGBT Population Deserves Effective Drug Rehab in

New York

Yes, there is a large LGBT population in New York and yes, there is quite a variety of gay healthcare services available in New York and neighboring New Jersey. We know there is a high incidence of drug addiction and alcoholism within the gay community, but there are few if any gay friendly drug rehabs in New York or New Jersey for effective drug treatment. Gay Friendly Drug Rehab in Florida, by gay friendly we refer to a drug rehab program that has addiction treatment staff trained to address some issues specific to the gay population. While it is true that the gay man or woman is no different than a heterosexual man or woman, the LGBT do live lifestyles and have issues to resolve that are uncommon to the heterosexual population. This being said, all a gay friendly drug rehab need have are addiction treatment staff trained to help a member of the LGBT community work through coming out or internalized homophobia. You would be surprised how many people that work in a drug rehab have never heard of internalized homophobia. Many of the LGBT population in New York seem to travel to a drug rehab in Florida that would be described as gay friendly. Whether a drug rehab in Florida or a New York drug rehab, a patient has to feel safe in order to derive the greatest benefit from their drug rehab experience. When choosing a Florida drug rehab or New York drug rehab, do your homework. Make sure the Florida drug rehab or New York drug rehab is properly licensed and credentialed. If you are looking for a gay friendly drug rehab, inquire into the LGBT friendly addiction treatment services that are offered. If you require additional information on a New York drug rehab or Florida drug rehab, please call the national addiction treatment helpline at 1-800-511-9225 and I am sure they will be able to help you.

New Data Suggests Gay Crystal Meth Users More Likely to Test HIV-Positive

Michael (last name withheld to protect confidentiality), a 22-year-old homeless client of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Jeff Griffith Youth Center and newly addicted to crystal methamphetamine, is one of a growing number of gay men in Los Angeles who are experimenting with the drug, according to disturbing new preliminary data from the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.

Of 5,319 gay men tested for HIV or other STDs at the Center in 2005, 18 percent reported they had used crystal meth at least once and 9 percent had used the drug in the previous 12 months. In 2006 the percentage of gay men who reported using crystal meth at least once had increased to 25 percent and the percentage of those who had used it in the last year had increased to 13 percent (of 6,360 people tested). Even more alarming: The 2006 preliminary data indicates that gay men who used meth within the previous 12 months were five times more likely to test positive for HIV than those who did not.
Youth Center client Michael, kicked out of his Sacramento home for being gay and now living on the streets of Los Angeles, has battled for months to kick what became a nearly instantaneous addiction. He isn’t yet HIV-positive and by expanding its crystal meth recovery services the Center hopes to help him, and those like him, beat their addiction before it’s too late.

“I thought, ‘I’m living on the streets. There’s nothing better to do. Let me just try it,’” Michael said of using meth in a recent release from the Youth Center. “So I ended up trying it, and I ended up getting hooked on it. I started going crazy, like I wanted it all the time.”

A new crystal meth recovery support group launched by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center specifically for young people—along with a second meth group designed for adult gay men—aims to help meth users like Michael find a support system among their peers and take their first steps toward recovery.
“One of the keys to successfully helping both youths and adults who are abusing meth is to have crystal meth treatment services available to them early in their use or addiction,” said Mike Rizzo, manager of the Center’s Crystal Meth Treatment Recovery Services. “Many users will at some point begin to question if they have a problem with the drug, and having services ready for them at that moment is vital in helping them move from contemplation to action.”

Rizzo should know. Recently recruited to the Center, he’s a gay man recovering meth addict himself and now an expert in crystal meth treatment and prevention. Before joining the Center, Rizzo worked for three and a half years as director of a residential/outpatient addiction treatment program for members of the GLBT community struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. He also has worked as an intern and counselor at Our House, which assists HIV-positive individuals recovering from substance abuse.
In addition to his work with the Center’s meth support groups, Rizzo works one-on-one with clients to refer them to other Center services-like individual counseling, the Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic for HIV medical care, HIV/STD testing and treatment, and others—as well as to outside treatment facilities if necessary.
Fighting crystal meth use in the LGBT community requires a multi-pronged approach, says Rizzo, because the reasons people use the drug vary greatly between demographic groups.

For gay and bisexual men, meth can temporarily alleviate some of the issues gay men may struggle with, such as internalized homophobia, low self-esteem, lack of acceptance by society and low coping skills, explains Rizzo. And because it also lowers inhibitions and enhances sexual pleasure, experimental use often evolves into long-term addiction—and into repeating patterns of risky sex.

Homeless youth, however, tend to use meth for very different reasons, most directly linked to the fact that they are living on the streets, said Ismael Morales, a health educator at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Jeff Griffith Youth Center for homeless and at-risk GLBT youth ages 15-24.
“On the streets of Los Angeles there are about 5,000 - 6,000 homeless LGBT youth and for them, the drug is not recreational at all—it’s about survival,” Morales says. “They use it to stay awake at night for safety. They use crystal to separate themselves from the reality of living on the streets. And they end up addicted to it.”

Have HIV: My #1 Disease Is Drug Addiction

A Former Nurse Writes About Her Life

By Judith Fadden

Spring 2001

This is my story of what it was like, what happened, and what I’ve become today.
After graduating college with a nursing degree, I was diagnosed HIV+ in 1985. I had been a weekend heroin user and completed my nursing board exams on methadone. With everyone in my life agreeing my life was unmanageable, I went to a 28 day addiction treatment program. I left addiction treatment “most likely to succeed.” However, the stigma of HIV/AIDS was overwhelming. I was not welcomed back by my employer, boyfriend or family. I decided to make a geographical change and I moved to Florida. The only problem with that was my drug addiction followed me to Florida. I began a 15 year insanity spree which took me to the streets, prostituting, smoking crack, drinking heavily, living from man to man, motel to motel. Even having 2 HIV+ babies didn’t break me from the denial I was living in.

I Was a Victim

After 17 arrests, 2 prison terms, and losing both of my children, I thought that my life was hopeless and I was a victim unless I surrendered totally or died. Well I never got any AIDS related illnesses, I was never even sick with a cold. I did however weigh 100 pounds on my 5?9? body and I looked malnourished. So since the AIDS virus wasn’t going to kill me, I had to face this drug addiction head on in spite of myself.

After my last sentence of 5 years for felony prostitution and having no family support and all my enablers gone, I knew this was my last chance to live clean and sober. When I entered prison, there were drugs everywhere and that is when I decided to make the best choice of my lifetime. I entered the Addictions Treatment Unit. I hated it at first, I knew I had failed at this before so I couldn’t see myself succeeding. I started to take their suggestions. I listened instead of talked, and slowly I was really hearing what people were saying. I realized I was just like the other women there. My self seeking started to slip away.

I began to accept myself with all my faults. I no longer wanted to be the “victim.” Forgiving myself and others allowed me to share, and my self-esteem soared. I no longer wanted to exist with pain. I wanted to live with love. I now have a willingness to help others and to be honest about my feelings and the idea of recovery excites me.

Today I have one more year to go in prison. My T-cells are 500, and my viral load is 200. I am on a Protease Inhibitor cocktail that has agreed with my body from the start. I am teaching a class in the addiction treatment unit and I work in the office with the director.

I finally feel free for the first time in my life. Today I have hope, determination and a willingness to succeed. Today I am truly alive.

“Whenever I am asked by members of the media or by curious healthy people what we talk about in our groups, I am struck by the intractable gulf that exists between the sick and the well. What we talk about is survival. Mostly we talk about what it feels like to be treated like lepers; treated as if we are morally, if not literally, contagious. We try to share what hope there is and to help each other live our lives one day at a time. What we talk about is survival. We suffer from a life-threatening illness, and we suffer the stigma attached to being diagnosed with AIDS.”

– Michael Callen, 1983

An accepted notion within the rehabilitation community is that satisfaction with one’s sexuality is highly correlated with productivity and social adjustment. Despite this notion, the topic of sexuality has not received a great deal of attention within the rehabilitation literature. For example, a review of the Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, Journal of Rehabilitation, and Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin during the past 10 years reveals that few empirical articles or discussion papers have been published about human sexuality. One theme that emerged in our literature review is that issues concerning homosexuality have been virtually ignored within the drug rehabilitation field. In fact, to our knowledge, there is only one article that examines the needs of clients with disabilities who are gay. This article by McAllan and Ditillo outlines myths, terminology, and practical suggestions for rehabilitation practitioners to work more effectively with gay clients. The intent of the present article is to examine specific issues with respect to alcohol treatment of gay men and lesbians.

The “Hidden Minority”

It is estimated that between 10% and 15% of the general population is homosexual. Despite this statistic, lesbians and gay men have often been referred to as a “hidden minority”. Such invisibility has been attributed to a variety of factors which include a reluctance on the part of gay men and lesbians to openly acknowledge their homosexuality; lack of awareness, knowledge, and sensitivity of helping professionals who work with homosexuals; and the negative stigma associated with being gay or lesbian Strong religious doctrine and legal repercussions against same-sex behavior have also contributed to the need for people to remain hidden. In addition, disclosure of one’s sexual orientation can lead to isolation, ostracism, and even physical abuse.

Alcoholism is the one disability that affects gay people at a much higher rate than heterosexuals. Kus (1990) stated that between 20% and 33% of the gay and lesbian population has an identified drinking problem. Other researchers believe that between 18% and 38% of gay men and 27% to 35% of lesbians are either alcohol abusers or alcoholics. This percentage exceeds the general population at large which has an estimated alcoholism rate of between 10% to 12%. In reviewing these statistics about gay men and lesbians, it is important to keep in mind that there are a number of methodological constraints with such research including small sample sizes, non-random groups, and lack of a representative sample Despite these flaws, though, “all of the studies show a remarkable consistency in their findings … that 28 to 32 percent of lesbians and gay men are at high risk or are alcoholic” (Finnegan & McNally, 1989, p. 129). Based on these statistics, it is safe to say that alcoholism is the number one health issue for gay men and lesbians.

Possible Reasons for Increased Alcohol Use Among Gay Men and Lesbians

The difference in alcoholism rates between gay and non-gay populations has been attributed to a number of environmental factors. One factor is that alcohol serves as a method of coping with internal homophobia. Anderson and Henderson (1985) believe that socio-cultural pressure is the soundest explanation as to why alcoholism rates differ between gay and non-gay populations. Overt societal stigmatization of gay men and lesbians can lead to low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and powerlessness. As such, alcohol may serve as one way to cope with these negative feelings.

A second reason for increased alcohol use/abuse by gay men and lesbians is the fact that legitimate socialization is often limited to bars or parties serving alcohol. Gay bars promote the use of alcohol in much the same way that nongay bars endorse alcohol use in the heterosexual culture. The major difference between the two, however, is that heterosexual have a greater range of social outlets from which to choose without fear of recrimination.

A third reason that may explain the higher incidence rate is that alcohol use may help the individual during the “coming out” process. As the individual struggles with the decision to “tell or not to tell”, an increasing amount of stress can occur. Using alcohol provides one way to relieve such stress. Alcohol can also be used to help people lower their inhibitions as a way to engage in same-sex sexual activities they may not feel comfortable performing if they are sober. Making the decision to “come out” requires an acknowledgment to oneself, to other gay people, and then to everyone else that you are gay or lesbian. As such, “coming out” represents an on-going, gradual process of acknowledging one’s sexuality over time. It is important to remember that gay men and lesbians must make a choice about whether to “come out” every time they meet someone new. The process of “coming out” to non gay people may be the most difficult for gay men and lesbians who enter alcoholism treatment. It is important to respect a person’s decision if they choose not to “come out” in treatment because of legitimate fears of oppression or possible retaliation.

Crystal Meth Addiction and Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment
HEALTH / GaMMa Partners Launch New Programs

Tackling the problem of crystal methamphetamine addiction among gay men in Vancouver has taken a step forward with the recent introduction of several addiction treatment programs to help users, ex-users and those close to them cope with the effects of crystal meth on their lives.

The addiction treatment programs, including peer discussion groups, an intensive addiction treatment program and a support group for Aboriginal two-spirit people, were among the topics of discussion at a Mar 30 community forum for the Gay Men’s Methamphetamine ( GaMMa ) working group held at the False Creek Community Centre.

The forum was an opportunity for those involved in GaMMa’s outreach project to report back to the community on their accomplishments. The goal of the outreach project, which began in the fall of 2005 and officially wrapped up with the forum, was to help health care providers and community organizations to better address crystal meth use by gay men through prevention, crystal meth detox and crystal meth addiction treatment.

The project included both outreach activities and a needs assessment conducted by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. The outreach activities included a 20-week period during the summer of 2006 in which volunteers visited more than 100 venues and special events around Vancouver, mainly targeting populations of gay men potentially at risk of crystal methamphetamine addiction. The outreach component also included activities targeted toward two-spirit people.

GaMMa working group co-chair Sue Pearson says the project meets an important need.

“It was really the first time that harm reduction information about crystal meth use was disseminated so widely in the LGBT community,” she says. “Our outreach volunteers started conversations and broke down the stigma attached to crystal meth use.”

The new programs available to those affected by crystal methamphetamine include two peer-led discussion groups starting this month at Gayway, the gay men’s resource exchange. One group, Life After Meth, will be for former crystal meth users, while the other, Three’s Company, will be for family, friends and partners of men who use meth.

Another service is an intensive day and evening drug addiction treatment program from Vancouver Coastal Health for gay men who are battling crystal meth addiction. The drug addiction treatment program, which is temporarily operating at the Three Bridges Community Health Centre on Hornby St, uses cognitive behavioral therapy and includes a recreation component and alternative therapies.

Two-spirit people affected by crystal meth also have access to a support group, beginning in April at the Gathering Place Community Centre on Helmcken St. The group incorporates traditional smudge ceremonies and talking circles, says Dolan Badger, who led the two-spirit outreach component of the GaMMa project.

The GaMMa forum also included presentations by some of the project’s outreach volunteers, including Ron Allen. Allen has seen the effects of crystal meth use first hand. A former lover of his was a methamphetamine user and Allen’s experience with GaMMa gave him an opportunity to try helping this person.

“Once my outreach stint ended, I brought him a pamphlet on meth use harm reduction techniques and discussed it at length with him and that was very important,” says Allen. “He was the only person whose crystal meth use I was directly caught up in. Because of my personal connection with him and because I knew that he trusted me implicitly, I felt that I should share that [harm reduction information] with him.”

Dr Thomas Lampinen, project lead for the GaMMa needs assessment, says the formal report on the project will be released sometime in April. Lampinen estimates that roughly 2,600 gay men in Vancouver used crystal meth last year and says a new approach should be taken when it comes to the connections between crystal meth use and HIV.

“People tend to focus on crystal meth use leading to unsafe sex and new HIV infections. However, it’s much more common that people with HIV start to use crystal as a way of coping with their own special issues, such as HIV-related fatigue and depression,” he says.

Lampinen says that interviews conducted as part of the needs assessment revealed a high prevalence of mental health disorders among gay men who use crystal meth ( dual diagnosis )and he sees treating underlying mental health issues as one of the keys to defeating meth addiction ( dual diagnosis treatment).

“In many cases, these conditions were in fact the reason men first began using crystal meth,” he says, noting that men would use meth to medicate themselves so as to better cope with their dual disorders.

“I think what people need to realize is that crystal meth use among gay men is not so much hedonism gone awry as it is another example of the use of substances to manage an underlying mental health problem.”

FACT SHEET ABOUT GAY/LESBIAN DRUG ABUSE:

Alcohol abuse and drug abuse affects an estimated 20-30% of the gay and lesbian population (LGBT)– a rate that is two to three times higher than the general population.

Alcohol abuse and other drug abuse contributes to increased risk of HIV and AIDS, and other health and safety problems including drunk driving fatalities, date rape, and verbal and physical abuse.

In the gay and lesbian community, the absence of significant alternatives to bars and parties contributes to drug addiction and alcoholism.

Anxiety, alienation, depression, and low self-esteem among gay men and lesbians increase their risk for substance abuse.

The use of cocaine, amphetamines, and other drugs is associated with high levels of sexual risk taking. Nearly 10% of gay and bisexual men responding to a Michigan Department of Community Health survey reported that they had engaged in unprotected sex when they were high or drunk.

Gay and bisexual men who use speed have much higher seroprevalence than either heterosexual injection drug users or gay and bisexual men who do not inject drugs.

When compared with non-users, speed users reported more unsafe receptive anal intercourse, more condom breakage, and more unprotected sex with HIV-positive partners.

In a study of gay male adolescents, 68% reported alcohol use (with 26% using alcohol once or more per week), and 44% reported drug use (with 8% considering themselves drug-dependent). Among young lesbians, 83% had used alcohol, 56% had used drugs, and 11% had used crack/cocaine in the three months preceding the study. (LGBT)

In a 1992 survey of San Francisco lesbians and bisexual women, 30% had used drugs other than alcohol, one in seven women had experienced violence when drunk or high, and 29% reported sexual abuse.

For LGBT drug addiction treatment go to www.gay-rehab.com

Sources: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan Department of Community Health, Journal of Addictive Diseases, Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, San Francisco Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Substance Abuse Planning Group

Amphetamine And Cocaine Usage Increase Risk Of Stroke Among Young Adults

Increasing rates of Methamphetamine and Cocaine abuse by young adults significantly boost their risk of stroke, with amphetamine abuse associated with the greatest risk, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center Texas report.

In the study, available online in the Archives of General Psychiatry, UT Southwestern physicians examined more than 8,300 stroke patients - ranging in age from 18 to 44 - at more than 500 Texas hospitals in the years 2000 through 2003.

An analysis of risk factors and trends among stroke victims in this age group pointed to an increase in substance abuse as a major danger, particularly in the abuse of methamphetamines in Texas, which are produced in illegal drug labs or illegally imported into the country.

Amphetamines and crystal methamphetamine are stimulants, often prescribed for various medical uses as well as used illegally as drugs of choice or as performance enhancers. Methamphetamines (meth) produce more potent, longer lasting and more harmful effects to the central nervous system than other members of the amphetamine drug class at comparable doses, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

“Using amphetamines or cocaine significantly increases an individual’s risk for a stroke,” said Dr. Arthur Westover, an instructor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern in Texas and the study’s lead author. “If we decrease the number of people who are using these substances, then we likely can decrease the number of strokes in this younger population. The implication is that it’s preventable.”

The study focused on two kinds of strokes: hemorrhagic and ischemic. Most strokes - which involve a sudden interruption in the blood supply of the brain - are ischemic, caused by an abrupt blockage of arteries leading to the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes, on the other hand, result from bleeding into brain tissue when a blood vessel bursts.

An evaluation of patient study data from 2003, the first year that U.S. hospitals were required to make a distinction between the two types of strokes in their diagnoses of stroke victims, showed that young people who abuse methamphetamines are five times more likely to have a hemorrhagic stroke than non-abusers. If cocaine is abused, the person’s likelihood of having either a hemorrhagic or an ischemic stroke more than doubles.

In addition, the 2003 data showed that more than 14 percent of hemorrhagic strokes and 14 percent of ischemic strokes were caused by abuse of drugs, including amphetamines, cocaine, cannabis (marijuana) and tobacco.

“Basically, speed kills,” said Dr. Robert Haley, the study’s senior author and chief of epidemiology at UT Southwestern in Texas. “And crystal meth seems to be increasing as the preferred drug of abuse among the youngest population - people who don’t always know its dangers, often thinking it’s fairly safe.

“This is the first study large enough to confirm the link that crystal meth kills by causing strokes. We hope that our findings will lead to getting the word out to young people who are tempted to use crystal meth, explaining that the drug is extremely dangerous and can kill them.”

Most drug rehab services, including alcohol treatment programs, are geared towards serving a white, heterosexual, male, client. Unless great effort has been put into awareness training, developing knowledge about the experiences and circumstances of minority groups, and the establishment of programs to deal with the special needs of different groups of oppressed people, services will simply perpetuate institutional discrimination.

Gay Alcohol Treatment Programs Not Adequate

U.S. researchers Lohrenz et al (1978) found that 37% of homosexuals experienced discrimination from alcohol treatment program staff while Fifield, De Crescenzo & Latham (1975) discovered that 75% of homosexuals who are recovering from alcoholism believe that mainstream drug rehab and alcohol rehab program are not geared to treating homosexuals and do not provide an accepting and supportive environment. Because of discrimination homosexuals are less likely to attend an alcohol treatment program and drug addiction treatment program unless, that is, they are ‘passing.’ In this case, if the clinician does not bring up the subject, one of the major causes of their problems will be ignored. Rofes (1989) says: By ignoring the special problems that a lesbian alcoholic, for example, presents, an alcohol treatment program will be doing a service to no one. Their alcoholism treatment of the individual will be less than adequate and may tend to intensify the woman’s feelings of isolation and ‘difference.’ Only by bringing the issue into the open and addressing the woman’s lesbianism as an aspect of her life which she needs to feel positively about, will the program be truly effective.

Avoiding Coming Out

Shernoff & Finnegan (1991) discuss the case of a lesbian who is hiding her sexuality, then stress: It is the responsibility of each alcoholism treatment counselor to take the lead in this area the same way alcohol treatment counselors routinely question early family history, dynamics of shame, denial and spirituality. By omitting questions about sexual orientation, or the more subtle questions about sexual or affectional feelings or fantasies for a person of the same sex, the counselor is not obtaining information about all the possible contributing factors for achieving and maintaining sobriety. While Hellman et al (1989) note: Therapists may fear causing anxiety by asking patients about sexual orientation because of discomfort with the subject. However, this questioning can be essential in helping to overcome the secrecy and denial that are hall marks of the struggle with both alcoholism and homosexuality. Of course, if a worker is ignorant about homosexuality s/he is likely to make the situation worse:

Problems Faced In Gay Alcohol Treatment Programs

American surveys, referred to by Hellman et al (1989), reveal a list of complaints about mainstream provision ranging from

· heterosexual bias in alcoholism treatment and evaluation (including either focusing primarily on sexual orientation when inappropriate or ignoring important factors linked with sexuality)

· ignorance about lesbian/gay issues and discomfort at approaching matters of sexuality

· ignorance about the inter-relation of homosexuality and alcohol abuse

. Neisen & Sandall (1990) worked at a program designed to offer alcohol treatment to chemically dependent lesbians and gays. They list their clients’ experiences of non-gay drug rehab or non gay alcohol rehab, which include:
difficulty in being open about their sexual orientation due to fear of staff/client harassment,· staff telling them it wasn’t acceptable to discuss sexual orientation

some were forced to disclose their sexual orientation

as soon as their sexuality was known, some were discharged

some said that after disclosure the alcohol treatment they received was different due to an atmosphere of condemnation

some feared that if their sexual orientation was known about this would receive more emphasis than their chemical dependency

some addiction treatment programs were not happy having their partner attend a family program.

Citing Morales & Graves (1983) and Hellman, Stanton, Lee, Tytun and Vachon (1989), O’Hanlan (1996) notes:

· the majority of detox and drug rehabilitation and alcohol rehab programs were insensitive to issues of sexual orientation and did not, generally, encourage its disclosure

· homophobia limits the success of recovery and alcohol treatment for lesbian substance abusers (Hall, 1990; de Monteflores, 1986)

· failure to acknowledge sexual orientation makes relapse more likely (Cabaj, 1992)

· lesbians were more likely to attend alcohol treatment program services which address lesbian social issues and provide lesbian counsellors (Hall,1986, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994; Morales & Graves, 1983).

Family Treatment In Gay Alcohol Treatment Programs
Inclusion of families in addiction treatment and alcohol rehab program is now an acceptable way of supporting those coming off alcohol dependency (Nardi, 1982; Shernoff & Finnegan, 1991). This would be problematic for the homosexual client, partly because many will have been rejected by their families and those families who do not reject their offspring rarely want to discuss anything connected with homosexuality. Yet it is the ignorance and lack of acceptance of families which is one of the main reasons why homosexuals are vulnerable to alcohol abuse and drug abuse. Alcoholism treatment does work!

A gay alcohol treatment program, drug rehab or gay friendly dual diagnosis treatment program, can be found at a web site located at www.lakeviewhealth.com or you can call the dual diagnosis national helpline at 1-800-511-9225 to locate a dual diagnosis treatment program in your local area.