Substance Abuse Risk Factors for Gays and Lesbians
The risk factor in substance abuse for the gay and lesbian community is not that these men and women are "different" but that they are treated different. A person who has a different sexual orientation can not help it anymore than a person is attracted to someone who is a redhead or tall or has a mustache. Yet drug addiction and alcoholism among the gay and lesbian community is on the rise and in counseling it often comes out that they are treated like aliens.
Should a child be laughed at because he prefers chess over football or she isn’t into cheer leading? No. Should a teenager be ostracized because he prefers a ten speed instead of a car? Absolutely not. It is more important that he or she is happy, right?
People who do not understand something different often reject, not the difference but the person socially. This is how the gay and lesbian community feel. Often, they turn to drugs and alcohol to forget the pain of such social rejection. They allow someone else’s homophobia to damage their self esteem. They worry that they do not measure up when realistically, they could be ten times better ethically and morally as the person who is judging them.
Half of those in the gay and lesbian community admit to some form of domestic violence. Another factor, however, is that they are abusing some form of drug or alcohol. This happens in men/women relationships as well, stating that the drugs and alcohol are the risk factor in the domestic violence disputes, not the sexual orientation of the couple.
Younger people who fall into this sexual orientation group seem to have a higher drug and alcohol problem statistically than their older counterparts. Again, this does not declare it is because they have realized their sexual orientation, it is because, as with ANY teen, they are surrounded by peer pressure and wanting to fit in.
While there has been discussion about having drug and alcohol treatment for gays and lesbians, the truth is that even in this situation, drugs do not discriminate. Support groups should stand together against the enemy of drug addiction and not worry about who is attracted to who. The bottom line is, drugs did not make someone gay or lesbian. However, someone who is gay or lesbian has the added social rejection that increases risk factors. It is time to overthrow the enemy (addiction), not the person, no matter who he or she is.