GLBT Drug Rehab in LA
The GLBT community suffers from a disproportionately high incidence of substance abuse, starting in the teenage years. The statistics are appalling:
- LGBT teens in general are 190 percent more likely to use drugs and alcohol than are heterosexual teens
- Bisexual teens use drugs and alcohol at a rate 340 percent greater than the rate among straight teens
- For lesbian teens, the rate approaches 400 percent
Here are some numbers for specific drugs used in the young GLBT community:
- 70 percent had used marijuana as opposed to 49 percent of all other youth
- 29 percent used cocaine, compared to 9 percent of straight teens
- 30 percent used methamphetamines, compared to 7 percent
- 18 percent used injected drugs, compared to 2 percent
One might argue that GLBT teens are more easily accepted in metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles than in rural areas or isolated small towns, and that may well be true. However, access to drugs is also greater here, and there is a definite need for GLBT-oriented drug rehab in LA.
Issues for GLBT Drug Rehab in LA
Homosexuality doesn’t cause addiction. The reaction to homosexuality often does. At any age, but especially in adolescence, having a different sexual identification or even questioning one’s sexuality often leads to shaming, low self-esteem, and even violence and victimization. If a gay teen keeps his orientation hidden, he is vulnerable to self-loathing. If a young lesbian comes out to her family and friends, she may be utterly rejected. It’s easy to see why so many GLBT adolescents turn to substance abuse to deal with these negative feelings.