Workshops

Addiction in the Gay/Queer Community. Denial, Stigma, Support, and Recovery, SoBears:, Gay , Bi, & Trans-men addressing Masculinity and Recovery.

Philip T McCabe, University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ

Studies indicate that LGBT people are more likely to use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs than the general population. They are also less likely to abstain from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, they report higher rates of substance abuse problems, and they are more likely to continue heavy drinking into later life. LGBT’s use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs for the same reasons as others, however their probability of using is heightened by personal and cultural stresses resulting from anti-gay bias. For LGBT individuals, treatment must include a focus on the effects of stigma, homophobia and heterosexism in order to be beneficial to the patient. Not only does treatment and prevention need to be inclusive of the core issues affecting LGBT clients, it also needs to maintain a LGBT affirming understanding of the life skills necessary to develop and maintain a drug free existence