The evolvement of addiction rehab
In the past couple of decades, the focus of addiction treatment and recovery has broadened significantly and is far different from what it originally was 100 years ago. During the 19th century, substance addiction was treated as a mental disorder similar to depression or schizophrenia and people were committed to asylums for experimental treatment. Today, the field of drug rehab focuses on a number of different populations such as men and women only programs, executive rehab programs, luxury or private rehab programs, etc.
This is also true where the GLBT community is concerned. GLBT stands for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender. There are numerous reasons (many speculative) as to why substance abuse and dependency is far more prevalent in the gay and lesbian community than what it is in society overall. One way or the other, the number of gays and lesbians with substance abuse problems exceeds the percentage of addicted heterosexuals.
If you’re a firm believer in statistics, you’ll be interested in knowing that substance addiction among gays and lesbians is two to three times greater than what it is in the general population. This means that it is viewed as being somewhat of an epidemic among the GLBT population and the needs of these suffering individuals are equally important as those of heterosexuals. Gays and lesbians addiction treatment and recovery options that effectively target their personal needs and are exclusive to that community only.
Exaggeration, speculation, or fact
Suffice it to say and regardless of what your personal beliefs are, there are different schools of thought where substance dependency among the GLBT community is concerned. For example, some argue that the prevalence of abuse and addiction among gays and lesbians is overly exaggerated based on how the statistics are collected, especially from within a gay-friendly establishment such as bars, cafés, hotels, and restaurants. Despite the argument, the data collected clearly indicates a higher level of abuse and addiction.
In response to the needs of the GLBT community, many addiction treatment and recovery facilities today offer rehab programs that target the needs of gays and lesbians. Some are separate facilities that stand by themselves while others take place within a mixed population of heterosexuals. Having the option to choose an addiction treatment and recovery program that is exclusive to gays and lesbians is oftentimes viewed as a luxury regardless of whether or not you debate the merits of these types of programs.
We are here to help you
The Rehab Advisor is the internet’s premier drug addiction treatment referral website and we can easily find a gays and lesbians addiction treatment program that targets the personal needs of gays and lesbians. For more information on these programs, we encourage you to contact us.