8 | OutBoise Magazine | NEWS
OutBoise.com | Issue 6.2 | April 2015
Our Health
What do we abuse? Gay and bi men have an
affinity for Alcohol, Crystal Methamphetamine,
Cocaine, so called party drugs like Ecstasy, Ketamine, and BHP. Other stimulants, sedatives and
marijuana also fall into use. Among lesbians Alcohol leads the way with prescription opiates coming
in second followed by Crystal Methamphetamine
and marijuana.
The reasons why are the kicker. The number
one reason given in most recovery programs was
as a way to dull the feelings of isolation and social
stigma involved in being a sexual minority. For
young gay men peer pressure and depression also
played a role. Many people reported first using as
way of enhancing sexual performance or numbing sexual desire. Later reporting use spiraling out
of control.
by Robert Collins
Substance Abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism. Studies indicate that the LGBT community is at high risk.
Why? There are several reasons as diverse as the
community itself to blame.
In general, substance abuse is defined as the
use of mind-altering substances in ways that do
not have generally accepted medical value. Also,
it is described as the habitual and detrimental use
of legal, prescribed or uncontrolled mind-altering
substances.
The LGBT community seems particularly vulnerable. The pressures involved with being socially
isolated and unaccepted. Also, the reliance on
bars as safe, social outlets all led us on a path to
the edge of substance abuse.
The best documented studies involve gay men
and bisexual men who face a 10 to 20 percent
risk increase over the heterosexual male population. Likewise, the few studies available for lesbian
addiction show an almost identical increase in risks
over heterosexual women. Transgender populations have an almost 30 percent risk increase over
the general population. I found not a single statistic available for bisexual women.
In 1995/96 I personally was at a low spot in my
life, Having suffered a divorce, the loss of my home
and falling into a deep depression I found myself
drinking more and was using drugs whenever
they were offered. Fortunately for me i was able
to move on in a different direction. The period of
abusing substances for me was brief but not without consequences . I was left with advances in the
effects of my diabetes. Many are not so lucky.
I know a young man in Meridian ID who
shared with me his painful journey from a straight
A student to a homeless gay young man to jail.
. He said it started with a boyfriend who turned
him on to ecstasy during sex then at parties, At the
same time he began drinking alcohol stolen from
his parents stock, given by friends and purchased
illegally. After graduating high school his parents
ended up throwing him out not because he was
gay but because he was stealing anything he
could in order to buy Ecstasy and Crystal Meth. It
all came to a crashing halt when at the age of 19
he was arrested for possession of Crystal Methamphetamine with the intent to sell.
Jarod (not his real name) found himself in a
rehab under court order. He says what began as
the worst day of his life ended in the best thing
that ever happened to him.