Pride Month: Finding Community and Support

June is Pride month. It’s an annual celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. We celebrate our survival and our right to live with the same freedoms as anyone else. We show our unity and strength, and we remind everyone that we still have progress to make when it comes to equal rights.

No matter how the celebrations commence, it’s essential to celebrate Pride and connect with our community—especially if we’re experiencing or recovering from addiction. Let’s take a look at how to find sober support if you’re LGBTQIA+.

Finding Sober Support during Pride Month

One of the reasons Pride is so important is that it’s a reprieve from the stigma and discrimination many of us face in our day-to-day lives. This stigma is one of the reasons members of the LGBTQIA+ community experience substance use disorder (SUD) at a higher rate than others. Research has been somewhat limited, but one study found that lesbian, bisexual and gay adults were more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to have used an illicit drug.

Obviously, more research needs to be done to have a better understanding of the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community. One of the challenges that gender and sexual minorities (GSM) face when seeking treatment is that its difficult to find other people with a similar background. While any support is helpful, it can feel isolated when others don’t share the same challenges you have, such as coming out to your family or dealing with discrimination at school or work.

How do you find sober support that meets your needs? One way is to look for sober spaces and events for the LGBTQIA+ community. In Baltimore, the GLBT community center hosts a range of events, including support groups for trans men and women, a support group for women of color, and support groups for teens and young adults. The GLBT community center also hosts two AA meetings and a Narcotics Anonymous meeting.

You can also find sober support online. Facebook groups can be an excellent source of support. One group to consider is LGBTteetotalers, which is a secret Facebook group that you can request to join here.

Understanding Treatment

Another source for support is DiscoveryMD. It offers outpatient treatment for those experiencing addiction to alcohol or drugs. Its treatment includes education and therapy to help you manage the challenges you face as an LGBTQIA+ person.

DiscoveryMD specializes in working with people who have a dual diagnosis. This means you’re experiencing addiction along with a mental health issue like anxiety or depression. DiscoveryMD also offers opiate detox.

Paying for treatment can be a challenge. To help, DiscoveryMD accepts most commercial insurance plans and Maryland Medicaid.

You deserve an amazing life. If you need help overcoming an addiction, contact us today.

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