What attracts gay people to drug taking?
Poor self-esteem, alienation and homophobia among gay men and lesbians can increase their risk for drug addiction and alcohol abuse. At present drugs and alcohol are a central aspect of gay club and bar culture, joining in can foster a sense of belonging, and can help you stay up all night dancing. Sharing a line or a pill is seen as sophisticated and decadent. this can be the first step towards drug addiction or alcohol abuse.
Are some drugs gayer than others?
You name it, gay people take it. From the dope-smoking bohemians of the 1950s, to the cocaine freaks of the disco years, via ecstasy, crystal meth, amyl nitrate, ketamine, GHB and beyond, drugs are part of gay life. More recently there have been studies linking gay people and abuse of anabolic steroids and also Viagra. It seems that some gay men’s obsessions with having a buff hard body is spilling over into their drugs of choice.
What’s being done to address the issue?
Some health promotion groups are calling for more social alternatives to the bar and club scene. They believe that gay people are less likely to want to take drugs if there are more places to meet. There is also a need for gay specific drug rehab programs. The feeling is that a gay man or lesbian will be more likely to go to drug rehab if the drug rehab is at a minimum a gay friendly drug rehab.
If you are looking for a gay drug rehab go to www.gay-rehab.com or call the national drug rehab helpline at 1-800-511-9225. To locate a gay friendly drug rehab in your area go to www.lakeviewhealth.com.
Posts Tagged ‘Drug Rehab Programs’
There is not one singular method of helping a person overcome drug or alcohol addiction. This is because each person’s addiction is unique. The circumstances surrounding a drug and alcohol program vary depending on a person’s history and current lifestyle. It is important, then, that when a drug addict or alcoholic seeks treatment that they find a program that understands how to treat his specific addiction. There are several schools of thought when it comes to drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Some people respond better to severe circumstances while others are better suited to a “coaxing” environment.
Some people excel in recovery communities, surrounded by like-minded people. The drug treatment programs and alcohol treatment programs in Delray Beach, Florida are centered on each client’s individual needs and strengths. The experts understand that, in order to overcome an addiction, a person must be given an environment in which he or she can play to personal strengths to help them overcome the circumstances surrounding their drug or alcohol abuse. Delray Beach is known as the recovery capital of the nation and is one of the many reasons that it offers some of the most successful alcohol and drug treatment programs. Drug and alcohol treatment centers located in Delray Beach Florida understand that no two drug or alcohol addictions are alike.
The two major types of drug rehab programs are inpatient and outpatient. Inpatient drug and alcohol rehab programs are just what they sound like. An alcoholic or drug addict will check into the rehab program and live on site for a pre-determined number of days. During those days he or she will take part in group and individual therapy sessions, community outings and other programs that are designed to teach the individual how to cope with his or her addiction and how to keep from relapsing. The outpatient drug and alcohol rehab programs are programs in which the addict lives at home but voluntarily comes in for therapy and rehab counseling a certain number of times per week. Many people choose to use inpatient drug rehab programs when they are first trying to get sober because they find that the best way to avoid relapse is to physically sequester themselves from any means of obtaining the drug.
The individual drug rehabilitation and alcohol rehabilitation programs are a little harder to define. These involve figuring out ways to best “reach” the addict-to “flick the switch” that makes them realize that they can not only get sober but that they can stay sober-with the proper tools. For some individuals, this involves a faith based approach. Others need to be coaxed and coddled through individual therapy sessions. Some addicts are better suited to a tougher rehabilitation regimen and respond better when faced with the challenge of proving that they can get sober and stay that way. Remember, each person is unique. What works for the man or woman sitting next to you in a group therapy session might not work for you. Part of the drug and alcohol recovery process is figuring out what your strengths and weaknesses are so that you will be able to play to your strengths when you encounter situations that, before rehab, would have sent you spiraling downward.
In Delray Beach, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers offer both inpatient and outpatient programs. Clients can choose programs that range from thirty to ninety days in length and will start in one of the center’s three phases of drug and alcohol addiction recovery. Each phase is different and each phase is set up to give each client enough time to work on individual rehab goals. For those who are best guided through faith, Celebrate Recovery offers a twelve step program with a Christian-centric approach to recovery.
Part of the process of recovering from an alcohol or drug addiction is understanding who you are and what treatments you will best respond to. No two addicts are exactly alike. What works for person A could have disastrous results with person B. Drug rehabs understand this and the staff there go out of their way to make sure each patient has the best chance of recovery possible.
Drug addiction is serious business. There is more to it than what anybody will share in an interview, book or in a movie. The fact is that drug abuse has become so prevalent in today’s society that most of us are able to spot someone suffering from a drug addiction and then shrug it off as if we hadn’t seen anything at all. Perhaps this is why so many addicts suffer without seeking help. It’s easy to think that your own community is insulated from things like drug abuse. The truth is that even the most picture perfect town has people living within its borders who are addicted to drugs.
In Delray Beach, Florida, there are many drug treatment centers that are available to those who are struggling with addictions to drugs and alcohol. These drug rehab programs can include both inpatient drug rehabilitation programs and outpatient drug rehabilitation services. They typically range from thirty days to ninety days depending on the depth of individuals struggles. Some alcohol and drug addiction recovery programs offer a faith-based treatment program to those clients who prefer to work the twelve steps and study scriptures in a safe and secure environment.
There are some who will scoff and say that the drug problems of the United States are exaggerated and that the problems people see on television or in the newspaper are trumped up to gain the attention of the viewer/reader. It might surprise you then to read some of the following statistics that were provided to us by the White House’s drug policy website.
In 2001 almost thirty percent of kids between the ages of twelve and seventeen reported using drugs.
That same year more than half of respondents between the ages of eighteen and twenty five reported recent drug use.
In a study done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the following drug statistics were discovered:
In 2004 More than nineteen million Americans over the age of twelve were currently using drugs-including harder and illicit drugs.
There were more than sixteen million adult Americans (over the age of eighteen) using illicit drugs.
In 2004, almost twenty three million Americans had dependency problems with drugs. About an eighth of these abused alcohol and drugs and half of the total number of users abused alcohol but did not have abuse problems with illicit drugs.
Finally, consider the following statistics from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health done by the Office of Applied Studies at the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
In 2007 almost twenty percent of adults over eighteen that were polled admitted to using illicit drugs within a month of the poll taking place. Marijuana was the second highest drug used in this poll and came in at just over sixteen percent of users polled.
This same survey found that males were more likely to abuse illicit drugs and marijuana while all other drugs were about even with both genders.
Because drug abuse is so common in our society the staff and experts many of the drug rehabs will not be surprised or shocked when you place your first call to begin your drug and/or alcohol rehabilitation treatments. Instead you will find an environment that welcomes clients who want to get sober and will be surrounded by people who are in the same boat as you are. The trained staff members in drug rehabs understand that drug use is not this shadowy “thing” that “other people” do. Drug use can affect anybody, no matter what age he or she might be.
Statistically speaking, most adult Americans have tried some type of drug at least once or twice in their lives. The residents of Delray Beach are no different from the rest of the country. This is why it is important for drug addicts to realize that there is no shame in seeking help. The statistics regarding teenage and young adult drug use are startling so if you think that you or someone that you care about might have a drug or alcohol addiction problem, you should make an appointment at a drug and alcohol treatment center. The experts there can help explain that drug use isn’t anything to be ashamed of and that it can be overcome.


