LGBT Drug Treatment Blog

There are quite a few physicians that market themselves as “gay friendly” in an effort to attract the LGBT population for the treatment of medical problems. One problem that are sure to see is drug addiction or alcoholism. It becomes their responsibility during any exam to address the drug addiction or alcoholism and offer them a referral to addiction treatment.

Most physicians are not trained in addiction medicine and the LGBT community has a higher prevalence of drug addiction and alcoholism then the heterosexual population. This means the gay friendly physician needs to do their best to assess the patient and refer them on for addiction treatment.

 The ideal situation is for the patient to continue to see their primary physician after addiction treatment as there will be a great deal of trust and honesty between the two.  This provides for quality healthcare. To find a gay friendly physician or gay friendly doctor, just google the terms or if you feel you suffer from drug  addiction, alcoholism or depression you can call the national LGBT addiction helpline at 1-800-511-9225. 

Addiction Treatment

A number of addiction treatment options now exist for alcoholism. It is first important to determine whether inpatient or outpatient care would best benefit the individual. Inpatient addiction treatment is performed in a general or psychiatric hospital or in a center dedicated to treatment of alcohol, drug addiction and other substance abuse problems. It is recommended for the following people:
•    Those with a coexisting medical or psychiatric disorder
•    Those with delirium tremens
•    Those who may harm themselves or others
•    Those who have not responded to conservative drug addiction treatments
•    Those who have a disruptive home environment

Some — but not all — studies have reported better success rates with inpatient addiction treatment of patients with alcoholism. In those studies, patients who were hospitalized for treatment had fewer complications and re-hospitalizations, and longer abstinence rates, than patients treated as outpatients. However, newer studies strongly suggest that alcoholism can be effectively treated in a doctor’s office.

The new approach to outpatient treatment uses “medical management” — a disease management approach that is used for chronic illnesses such as diabetes. With medical management, patients receive regular 20-minute sessions with a health care provider. The provider monitors the patient’s medical condition, medication, and alcohol consumption.

An important 2006 study in the Journal of the Medical American Association (JAMA ) found that medical management can successfully treat alcoholism when it is combined with either:
•    Drug treatment
•    Behavioral counseling with a therapy technique called combined behavioral intervention (CBI)
Inpatient Addiction Treatment Options. A typical inpatient addiction treatment regimen may include the following stages:
•    A physical and psychiatric work-up for any physical or mental disorders
•    Detoxification – this phase involves initiating abstinence, managing withdrawal symptoms and complications, and ensuring that the patient remains in treatment
•    On going treatment with medications in some cases
•    Psychotherapy, usually cognitive-behavioral therapy
•    An introduction to Alcoholics Anonymous
Outpatient Addiction Treatment Options. People with mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms are usually treated as outpatients. Treatments are similar to those in inpatient addiction treatment and include:
•    Psychotherapy or counseling
•    Medications that target brain chemicals involved in addiction
•    Social support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous
•    Cognitive therapies
•    Quitting smoking (smoking interferes with the brain’s recovery from alcoholism)

After-Care Treatment. After-care employs services that help alcoholics maintain sobriety. For example, in some cities, sober-living houses provide residences for people who are trying to stay sober. They do not offer formal treatment services, but the people living there offer each other support and maintain an abstinent environment. A 2002 study reported that work therapy improved the outcome for homeless veterans who were being treated for substance abuse.
Factors That Predict Success or Failure After Drug Addiction Treatment
A 2001 analysis of studies reported that 25% of people were continuously abstinent following drug addiction treatment, and another 10% used alcohol moderately and without problems. Even among the remaining group, alcohol consumption was reduced by an average of 87%. Most studies strongly suggest that intensive and prolonged treatment is important for successful addiction recovery, whether the patient is treated within or outside a drug addiction treatment center.
Certain factors play a role in success or failure. Patients from low-income groups tend to have worse results in general. Their difficulties are often intensified by lack of insurance, low self-esteem, and minimal social support. To locate drug addiction treatment that can help, call the national addiction treatment helpline at 1-800-511-9925.

Crystal Meth Addiction 

In the United States, crystal methamphetamine use is endemic to urban men who have sex with men (MSM).  Among them, methamphetamine use is significantly associated with high-risk sexual behaviors, which has resulted in high rates of HIV prevalence within many Gay populations. Crystal methamphetamine-using MSM consistently report using methamphetamine to enhance their sexual encounters, often describing sex while on methamphetamine as more “intense,” “heightened,” “prolonged,” and “uninhibited.”   The affect of crystal meth use on the sexual health of gay men has become a public health concern.  Data on methamphetamine-using MSM populations in Los Angeles point to a “time-to-event” association between the level of methamphetamine use and the likelihood of reporting HIV infection (Shoptaw & Reback, 2006).  Findings demonstrate that the more involved gay men are in their use of crystal meth (as measured by their history of use and their frequency of use), the higher the prevalence of HIV infection.  As methamphetamine use is associated with high-risk sexual behaviors among gay, users also report an increased number of sexual partners, decreased use of condoms, multiple-partner sexual activities, engaging in sex with casual and anonymous partners, engaging in unprotected receptive and insertive anal sex with casual partners, an increased likelihood of being HIV-infected or having a sexually transmitted infection, and an increased likelihood of have hepatitis A, B or C infection.

Crystal methamphetamine is frequently used in gay-owned and gay-operated venues such as bars, bathhouses, sex clubs and circuit parties, i.e., weekend long events that celebrate gay sexuality and sensibility. Consequently, among MSM, the experience of using methamphetamine has become institutionalized within certain sectors of gay culture through gay-identified businesses.  Many gay crystal meth users report that the drug enables them to meet other men more easily, connect socially and sexually with other men, and alter more rigid attitudes toward sex.  Research studies have found that MSM methamphetamine users report engaging in higher-risk sexual activities not typically practiced when not using the drug.

Crystal Meth Addiction Treatment 

Crystal meth treatment usually takes place within the confines of a drug rehab. Crystal meth addiction treatment usually requires structure, time and medical care. Crystal meth treatment has to focus on detox and the medical consequences of the drug addiction. Crystal meth addiction has devastating effects on a person’s overall well being and brain function. Treatment for crystal meth addiction is successful. If you are gay, then it is recommended you locate a gay friendly drug rehab in which to receive rehab. One such place is Freedom Rings at Lakeview Health, www.gay-rehab.com.

Alcohol Detox

Your alcohol detox program can only succeed to the extent that it helps your body recover from the physical dependencies associated with addiction in a safe, supportive environment. Alcoholism works by altering an alcoholic’s metabolism so they require alcohol to sustain normal function. Alcohol detox works by gently weaning your body off of drugs and drug chemicals, thus allowing for the restoration of normal metabolic function. An alcohol detox program aims to make alcohol detox fast and gentle, so as to better prepare the alcoholic to face the challenges that lie ahead. Detox, even from opiates, is only painful if your physician doesn’t understand drug addiction.

Alcohol Rehab Is Next

It’s important to understand that alcohol detox is the beginning of the alcohol rehab process, not the end. As important as your alcohol detox program will be to your long-term recovery, the time you spend in a detoxification center is at best a precursor to everything that follows it. To that end, a quality alcohol treatment center looks to integrate detox into the alcohol treatment center thus allowing patients to build on the momentum gained from the detox experiences in pursuing more comprehensive alcoholism treatment. Remember, addiction recovery never comes easy. Those addicts and alcoholics who get sober for good invariably struggle a little bit in the process, even in a luxury alcohol rehab center. Alcoholism treatment will change your life. To get sober, after all, is to rediscover the world as you used to know it, and yourself as you used to be. To get sober is to remember why you ever believed life to be worth living in the first place. It all starts with alcohol detox.

To locate an alcohol detox or alcohol rehab, you can call the national alcoholism helpline at 1-800-99-DETOX.

Addiction treatment in Tennessee has for many years has been among the best in the nation. Tennessee addiction treatment is available for adults, adolescence and is both private and non- profit. You can find an addiction treatment program in Nashville, Memphis or Chattanooga,  but very few, if any, specialize in LGBT population.

While people are people, it would be irresponsible not to acknowledge the specific issues the gay and lesbian population need to address and how they would feel more comfortable being in a treatment setting that is “gay friendly”. Gay friendly addiction treatment would refer to a drug rehab with a component dedicated to the LGBT, a staff educated, committed and passionate about treating this population, and having a staff who has worked through any of their issues pertaining to the LGBT.

For a point of interest, addiction treatment in Florida has developed such a drug rehab. Freedom Rings is a gay rehab component of Lakeview Health Systems and is located in Jacksonville, Florida. Freedom Rings is a Florida drug rehab specializes in the gay and lesbian population. If a member of the LGBT for some reason does not want to join the Freedom Rings treatment program, they can just attend the Lakeview program. It provides patients the best of both worlds.

To locate an addiction treatment program for the LGBT or a drug rehab program, you can call the national addiction helpline at 1-800-511-9225. 

Over the years addiction treatment has been come to be known as the 28 day model. What is so magical about 28 days? Does everyone get what they need in 28 days? The answers are nothing and no. The 28 day addiction treatment model was based around what insurance carriers would pay for, not what a client needed to recover.

Today, many addiction treatment  programs last much longer than 28 days. Many last between two months and six months. The length of time a patient requires in addiction treatment should be based upon clinical and medical factors, not money. If the patient is going to be discharged prematurely at  least acknowledge the truth to the patient upon discharge so they won’t think they are doing better than they actually are.

To locate addiction treatment in your area and an addiction treatment program that works, you can call 1-800-511-9225. For a detox program you can call 1-800-99-DETOX.