Resurgence Behavioral Health Honors Pride Month by Providing an LGBTQ+ Friendly Environment

Costa Mesa, California—While there is still a long way to go, society has made strides in accepting non-binary individuals so they can live their authentic selves. Resurgence Behavioral Health is honored to be one of the healthcare providers who stand as allies with the LGBTQ+ community and encourages others to join this effort as we celebrate the community during Pride Month.

Resurgence Behavioral Health is a nationwide network of addiction and mental health treatment centers. All who are willing to seek help are welcome at Resurgence, but research shows that members of the LGBTQ+ community show a need for addiction treatment at higher rates than other populations.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported on substance use by “sexual minority” adults, or those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or otherwise non-heterosexual or non-binary. It reveals that in 2020, approximately 6.7 percent of sexual minority adults had misused opioids in the previous year, compared to 3.6 percent of the overall adult population. The report also showed that approximately 21.8 percent of sexual minority adults had an alcohol use disorder in the past year, compared to 11 percent in the overall population. 

These disparities are not the result of the LGBTQ+ community being more prone to addiction or substance abuse than others but are due to systemic inequalities that have led to lower access to health care and worse health outcomes. This is notable from data showing the community has higher rates of mental health disorders, substance abuse disorders and suicide rates as well as lowered health outcomes. These inequities result from the lack of specific education and training for healthcare workers; the minority status LGBTQ+ individuals face; a lack of clinical research in LGBTQ+ health-related issues; lack of role models; and lower insurance coverage rates. 

Many members of this community avoid seeking help because they fear suffering discrimination by the healthcare system – and sadly, their fears often come true.

This is why it is so important to find LGBTQ-friendly programs. Counselors in these programs understand the unique dynamic experienced by people in the community, who often are struggling with co-occurring disorders – a complex set of disorders in which addiction and an underlying mental health disorder act together and feed off each other. If only the addiction is treated without resolving the anxiety, depression or other condition, the addiction is likely to return when the emotional disorder reveals itself again.

Resurgence’s LGBTQ-specific rehab centers can help to discover co-occurring mental health disorders, as well as trauma and recovery healing. Strategies include group therapy to help clients connect with others that are working through their own form of treatment and can provide them with a unique level of support. Family therapy is also offered; it’s an important approach for the LGBTQ+ community, who often have profound difficulties being accepted and understood by family members after coming out.

Resurgence Behavioral Health understands the stress and pressure that people from the LGBTQ+ community experience on a regular basis and knows how tempting it is to use drugs and alcohol as an attempt to self-medicate the dispiriting effects of such discrimination. Resurgence’s compassionate, caring treatment specialists go the extra mile to ensure that individuals of all lifestyles, backgrounds and orientations have the care and support they need not only to overcome their addiction but also to come to a better understanding of who they are as a person so they can live their best lives free of addictive substance.

For more information on treatment of substance use disorder for yourself or a loved one, visit Resurgence Behavioral Health or call 855-458-0050.

Melissa Ramirez
Blue Interactive Agency

Research | Editorial