Being a gay man is not easy. It’s meant facing alienation, isolation, and oppression. Today, it also implies coming to terms with our feelings of being out of the closet that people now know everything about your gay life. Then, mix in the stress over what it is like to be gay with some homophobia linked to fears of AIDS, and you remember that life’s not so easy.
Research has demonstrated, that at the least two million gays abuse alcohol and at least 30 percent requires drug addiction treatment at some point in their lives. That is three times the odds facing the general population. It is clear to anyone that alcohol abuse and drug addiction is a critical problem within the gay population. The good news is that there is now help for the problem. Gay drug rehab programs, gay alcohol rehab programs, and gay relapse prevention programs have opened up throughout.
Gay Social Life and Alcoholism
Much of the lifestyle associated with gay life contributes to the high rate of gay alcoholism and gay drug addiction. But the most significant factor remains the fear and hatred focused on gay people. Needless to speak, the society has never been in full support of the same-sex affair. It’s a simple fact that gay bars or the gay club scene are the focus of most social activities. And while addiction treatment and drug rehab professionals differ in their opinions on the extent to which bars contribute to the high degree of alcoholism among the gay society, no one denies the importance of bars in a gay social lie. The hard truth is that regardless of what contributes to gay alcoholism or gay drug addiction recovery has to be the solution.
Gay Alcohol Rehab Options and the Family
There are a variety of gay chemical dependency, drug rehab, alcohol rehab treatment options for gay persons, but what’s available in your particular area depends very much on where you live. For this reason, addiction treatment and alcohol rehab help lines have been established to assist those looking for gay-friendly treatment. Some addiction treatment programs are run by gays, while others have gay counselors on their staff, and still, others teach straight counselors in treating gay clients. In the past, gay men encountered problems when searching for treatment at alcohol rehab centers. In most cases, counselors weren’t entirely sympathetic to, or knowledgeable about, their patient being gay. Some would even go as far as attempting to “fix” a client’s sexuality issues, fallaciously believing that their gayness is the cause of the excessive consumption of alcohol.Today the situation has improved tremendously. Most gay addiction treatment programs or gay alcohol rehab programs have specific components for the gay population, with staff trained to meet their needs. Most of the gay drug rehab programs and gay alcohol rehabs even offer family recovery weeks to include a client’s lover. As a matter of fact, if a drug rehab or alcohol rehab doesn’t have this type of family recovery program, find one that will.
In the recent years, we’ve all seen an increased awareness of alcoholism and drug addiction among gay men. This same awareness has prompted addiction treatment specialists to improve drug and alcohol rehab programs for gay people. There have even been gay dual diagnosis components established in addiction treatment. Things are better, but there’s still room for a whole lot of improvement.