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Gay, Lesbian Needs for Substance Abuse Treatment

People who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) represent a substantial minority of the U.S. population, yet pervasive prejudice and stigma often inhibit the development and provision of appropriate drug rehab and dual diagnosis services for them. This article provides basic information regarding common drug rehab and dual diagnosis concerns of GLBT persons to aid in the development of culturally competent mental health services.

Gay, Lesbian Substance Abuse Issues Research findings vary on rates of alcohol abuse, alcoholism, drug addiction and drug abuse among lesbians and gay men, but experts maintain that drug and alcohol abuse are significant health and mental health concerns for sexual minorities. One study found that lesbians and gay men were twice as likely to be moderate drinkers, but about equally as likely to be heavy drinkers, as heterosexuals. Experts note the likelihood of a link between internalized homophobia, low self-esteem, ongoing discrimination and alcohol abuse and drug abuse. GLBT who seek addiction treatment for substance abuse problems may encounter barriers to addiction treatment in unsupportive service settings. This is the reason for the need of gay friendly drug rehab programs and gay friendly alcohol rehab programs.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, alcohol abuse, alcohol rehab, alcohol rehab program, alcoholism, drug abuse, drug addiction, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, dual diagnosis, gay rehab, mental health, recovery, rehab, rehab programs, substance abuse, substance abuse problems, treatment

Dual Diagnosis; Eating Disorders, Drug Addiction and Alcoholism

The actual definition of dual diagnosis is the co-existence of a mental health disorder and drug addiction or alcoholism. The most effective dual diagnosis treatment generally will take place within a drug rehab or addiction treatment program with a strong psychiatric component. The mental health disorder and drug addiction / alcoholism should be treated simultaneously, while realizing the process of recovery is gradual.

Different Definition for Dual Diagnosis

The type of dual diagnosis I want to bring to light is that of the coexistence of an eating disorder and drug addiction or alcoholism. Patients like this are admitted to drug rehab and addiction treatment each and everyday. Unfortunately, drug rehab programs and alcohol rehab programs are not always equipped to treat the eating disorder and in many cases, do not even diagnose it correctly.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment program, alcohol addiction, alcohol rehab, alcohol rehab program, alcoholism, drug addiction, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, dual diagnosis, dual diagnosis treatment, dual diagnosis treatment program, eating disorder, eating disorders, mental health, patient, recovery, rehab, rehab programs, relapse, treatment

Dual Diagnosis and Families

Dual diagnosis and families
The lack of professional knowledge about dual diagnosis can be frustrating for those affected and their families. Common experiences may include:

• Health care providers may blame the client for being difficult and unresponsive to treatment, rather than questioning whether the health care system is failing to provide effective dual diagnosis treatment and support for people with dual diagnosis.
• If a dual diagnosis client first seeks addiction treatment for drug abuse, the drug and alcohol workers may consider their mental illness as a secondary issue or side effect. Similarly, if they first seek treatment for their mental illness, then the mental health professionals may also consider their drug abuse as a secondary issue or side effect. The two problems are often not seen as interdependent and equally important.
• Specialist and early intervention treatments are often not available for dual diagnosis.
• Health care professionals may not involve the family in dual diagnosis treatment, even though the family is frequently much more familiar with the problems and experiences of the person with dual diagnosis.

The future of dual diagnosis treatment
Alcohol rehab and drug rehab services and mental health services are developing ways in which to respond to people with a dual diagnosis. Integrated service delivery and collaborative treatment is becoming core business for most services.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, alcohol rehab, alcohol rehab program, drug abuse, drug rehab, dual diagnosis, dual diagnosis treatment, dual diagnosis treatment program, intervention, mental health, mental illness, rehab, rehab programs, treatment

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Integrated dual diagnosis treatment can be difficult
Effective management of either substance use disorders or mental health disorders is challenging. Dual diagnosis can mean an increase in challenging behaviours including self-harm and aggression, avoidance of services, and resistance to or non-compliance with addiction treatment and recovery programs.

Research suggests that people with a dual diagnosis respond well to integrated drug rehab programs that address both their mental illness and their substance abuse. However, these drug rehab programs were uncommon until recent years. Some of the reasons for this include:

• Dual Diagnosis can be difficult, because it isn’t always clear which problem has the more severe symptoms. Health services are now becoming more able to recognize dual diagnosis.
• Mental health services are usually reserved for people with severe problems, so dual diagnosis clients with less severe mental health problems may not get treatment. They should, however, be referred to a suitable service.
• A person with a mental illness may receive treatment, but their drug use problem could be dismissed as a minor side effect of their illness.
• The number of workers trained in dual diagnosis treatment is slowly increasing. The services for mental health and substance abuse generally don’t overlap, so professionals in one field aren’t knowledgeable about the issues in the other field. It is hard to find professionals who are skilled in treating both substance abuse and mental illness.

If you are looking for a quality and effective dual diagnosis treatment program, go to www.steppingstonecenter.org or call the national dual diagnosis helpline at 1-800-511-9225.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, dual diagnosis, dual diagnosis treatment, dual diagnosis treatment program, mental health, mental illness, recovery, recovery programs, rehab, rehab programs, substance abuse, symptoms, treatment

Young Gays Are More Likely To Take Drugs

New York City) Two new studies suggest that the use of so-called party drugs is more prevalent among young gay men than their straight counterparts.

The first study was of 3,492 men aged between 15 and 22 who had sex with other men. It found that almost one in three used substances such as crystal meth, ecstasy, marijuana or cocaine at least once a week. A further two-thirds had used drugs during the previous six months.

The lifetime use of cocaine among gay men was nearly double the level among heterosexuals.

“Effective gay drug addiction prevention and gay drug rehab programs … are urgently needed for young men who have sex with men, a population with a high rate of illicit drug use,” the report concludes.

The results of the four year study appear in the American Journal of Public Health.

The second study was done in the UK and examined the mental health and social well being of more than 2,200 gay men, lesbians, heterosexuals and bisexuals in England and Wales.

The report, published in Mind, said: “Levels of substance-use disorders were higher among gay men and lesbians, who were more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to have used recreational drugs.”

The research backs up suspicions that LGBT healthcare workers have had for a number of years. Previous research studies have shown a link between the use of party drugs and unsafe sex (story).

Tags: addiction, addiction prevention, crystal meth, drug addiction, drug rehab, gay drug rehab, gay rehab, lgbt, mental health, recovery, recreation, rehab

Alcohol Abuse, Alcoholism and Depression

Mental health professionals who treat alcohol abuse, alcoholism and depression have long known that these two illnesses occur together more often than not. In fact, it is quite common in medical settings for people to seek addiction treatment or alcohol rehab for either of these conditions. Not only is it true that in this setting the sensitive health care provider identifies the presence of the other illness 1, but it is also known that the earlier in one’s life that either of these two disorders develops, the greater the chance the other will also arise.

But what is known of the relationship between alcohol abuse, alcoholism and depression in people who are not seen in medical settings? In what order do they occur? This is obviously an important point in terms of understanding the development of these conditions, since people tend to seek help only in the later stages of a problem. A study recently done at the Harvard School of Public Health and a Harvard affiliated hospital has answered these questions.

Scope and aim of the study

The authors used data from a large survey that studied 14,480 people from 5 cities 3. In order to be included in the analysis, subjects could not have had a previous diagnosis of either major depression or alcoholism.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has established a set of criteria and symptoms that characterize various psychological disorders. In order to receive a diagnosis of major depression, a person must meet a specific number of criteria from the APA.

This means that someone may have some of the signs and symptoms of depression, but may not qualify to receive a diagnosis of the illness. Nevertheless, in practical terms, these symptoms can still affect the individual’s overall functioning and well-being. And by eliminating people with a diagnosis of depression or alcoholism, the researchers were able to more clearly evaluate the order of onset of new cases of depression, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol rehab, alcoholic, alcoholism, depression, hallucinations, major depression, mental health, psychiatric disorder, rehab, symptoms, treatment

Dual Diagnosis and Drug Rehab

Dual Diagnosis and Drug Rehabilitation: The New Hybrid Disorder and Addiction Treatment
Written by Rachel Hayon, MPH

Dual diagnosis is defined by the presence of both mental health disorders and substance abuse disorders (alcohol and/or drug dependence or abuse) [1]. There are a variety of different mental health disorders that can be associated with substance use and labeled dual diagnosis. Some of these disorders include: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anti-social personality disorder, narcissistic personality, and depression. A big question among the experts is which comes first- the mental health problem or substance use? It’s a difficult question to answer because so many of the symptoms associated with mental health disorders resemble the by product of substance use and vice versa. This is also an important topic right now because of the overwhelming amount of substance use cases and mental health disorders that overlap.

In a recent study conducted by the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), it was estimated that 17.6 million American adults meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder and approximately 4.2 million meet the criteria for a drug use disorder [2]. In addition to this, 19.2 million adults can be diagnosed for independent mood disorders (major depression, dysthmia, manic disorder, and hypomania) and 23 million meet the criteria for independent anxiety disorders (including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and specific social phobias) [2]. The NESARC also reported that approximately 20% of those individuals reporting a mental health disorder also reported a substance abuse disorder. Conversely, 20% of those individuals with a substance abuse disorder also displayed mental health problems [2].

When alcohol use is observed along with mental health disorders, alcoholics usually report that they “self-medicate” in order to alleviate symptoms of their psychiatric condition, such as depression [3]. One of the problems with using drinking as an emotional balm are the negative effects of heavy drinking as well as withdrawal from drinking- both can worsen an already negative mood state [4]. Having said this, it is interesting to see how different mental health disorders manifest themselves when substance use enters into the equation. Depending on what the disorder is, substances use is reported to be used for different reasons and also to either alleviate or bring on certain symptoms. For instance, in the case of bipolar disorder, though drinking may occur in both the manic and depressive phases, drinking is more prevalent during the manic phase [4]. Similarly, drinking may also produce symptoms that are similar to the manic phase of bipolar disorder such as grandiosity, irritability or physical agitation. In regards to anxiety disorder for instance, alcoholics usually report intense symptoms such as palpitations, sweatiness, and fear of objects or social situations which usually disappear with the discontinuation of alcohol use. However, individuals with agoraphobia or social phobia might drink in order to reduce the amount of anxiety they feel [5].

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, agoraphobia, alcoholic, anxiety disorder, bipolar, bipolar disorder, depression, drug rehab, drug rehabilitation, dual diagnosis, dual diagnosis treatment, dual diagnosis treatment program, effects, major depression, mania, mental health, mood disorder, panic disorder, patient, phobias, recovery, rehab, relapse, schizophrenia, social phobia, substance abuse, symptoms, therapy, treatment

Gay Addiction Treatment, HIV and Crystal Meth

Health experts and policymakers are searching for ways to release crystal meth’s stranglehold on Long Beach and urban and rural communities across the map.Some say the solution requires more collaboration among addiction treatment providers of substance abuse and HIV prevention. Some contend it lies in addiction treatment designed specifically to serve gay men.

One of the first legislative targets: expanding a California law that prohibits any retailer from selling a customer more than three packages of products, like many common cold medicines, containing pseudoephedrine, a main ingredient in crystal meth.

The bill, which cleared the Senate judiciary committee July 28, would put cold pills containing pseudoephedrine behind the pharmacy counter and restrict the amount a person can buy to 7.5 grams a month.

Various health agencies in Long Beach have programs to tackle crystal meth addiction and its link to HIV and other STDs. The Comprehensive AIDS Resource Education (CARE) program at St. Mary Medical Center and the Gay and Lesbian Center have gay addiction treatment counseling services for addicts.

Merrill L. Irving, director of addiction treatment programs at the Long Beach Gay and Lesbian Center, has teamed up with city activist John Kirby and HIV specialist Todd Stevens to design a task force that he hopes will do just that. The group would address the problem of gay crystal meth addiction in Long Beach’s gay community.

“I know the statistics and know how closely tied (crystal meth) is to HIV and the gay community” Irving said. “There’s a gap within our own programs.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment center, addiction treatment program, addiction treatment programs, alcohol rehab, alcohol treatment, counseling, crystal meth, drug addiction, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, gay addiction treatment, gay rehab, intervention, interventions, mental health, meth addiction, recovery, rehab, rehab programs, substance abuse, treatment, treatment center

Perceived Need for Addiction Treatment vs. Actual Need

A SAMHSA study showed that of the estimated 21.1 million individuals who need addiction treatment for drugs or alcohol abuse in 2004 did not receive addiction treatment (Department of Health and Human Services, 2005). 94.2% of these individuals felt that they did not need addiction treatment. This is an interesting phenomenon. Is this demonstrative of the power of denial involved with addiction? It seems important to ask how much our society contributes to this denial. How much education have these individuals had on when addiction treatment is necessary? While we value treating medical problems from birth, we are not encouraged to get any sort of mental health “check up” unless major symptoms begin to surface. 3.7% felt they needed addiction treatment but did not make an effort. There could be many reasons for this, but the one that instantly comes to mind is the utter hopelessness and despair that result from addiction, especially in its late stages. Interventions would be most useful in such circumstances. 2.1% of these untreated substance abusers actually made an effort but were not able to receive addiction treatment for a variety of reasons. Almost half of this group named cost and insurance barriers as the block to addiction treatment. A quarter said they had decided they were not ready to stop using. Other major factors cited were the stigma of entering an addiction treatment program, lack of knowledge on where to go for drug addiction treatment, feeling that they could handle the problems in ways other than addiction treatment, lack of time and lack of faith in the addiction treatment process. These result show the reality of how difficult it is to access individuals who could benefit from help. The managed care system continues to discourage the use of mental health benefits through discrimination against those who have been in addiction treatment as well as through the continual decrease in coverage for mental health treatment. This contributes to the stigma around mental health.If you are looking for an addiction treatment program, go to www.lakeviewhealth.com or call the national addiction treatment helpline at 1-800-511-9225.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment program, alcohol abuse, drug addiction, health treatment, intervention, interventions, mental health, recovery, substance abuse, symptoms, treatment

Understanding Dual Diagnosis

The term dual diagnosis is a common, broad term that indicates the presence of two independent medical disorders. Recently, within the fields of mental health, psychiatry, and addiction medicine, the term has been popularly used to describe the coexistence of a mental health disorder and drug addiction / alcohol addiction problems. The equivalent phrase dual disorders also denotes the coexistence of two independent (but invariably interactive) disorders, and is the preferred term used in this Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP).
The acronym MICA, which represents the phrase mentally ill chemical abusers, is occasionally used to designate people who have an drug addiction / alcoholism disorder and a markedly severe and persistent mental disorder such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. A preferred definition is mentally ill chemically affected people, since the word affected better describes their condition and is not pejorative. Other acronyms are also used: MISA (mentally ill substance abusers), CAMI (chemical abuse and mental illness), and SAMI (substance abuse and mental illness).

Tags: addiction, alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, alcohol rehab, alcoholism, bipolar, bipolar disorder, borderline personality, borderline personality disorder, centers, cocaine addiction, depression, drug abuse, drug addiction, drug rehab, dual diagnosis, dual diagnosis treatment, dual diagnosis treatment program, dual disorders, health centers, heroin addiction, major depression, mental disorders, mental health, mental illness, methadone, methadone treatment, opiate, panic disorder, patient, psychiatric disorder, recovery, rehab, relapse, relapse prevention, schizophrenia, substance abuse, symptoms, treatment