Alcohol and Drug Use During the Coming Out Process

The coming out process can be incredibly difficult for gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered individuals, and the stress can lead to an increase in drug and alcohol abuse. This alcohol and drug use has been especially pronounced with teenagers and young adults—those who embrace their identities at a young, brave age and find the rejection or mental stress difficult to cope with. However, the coming out process affects individuals of all ages and alternative lifestyles who are revealing themselves for the first time. Unfortunately, when drugs or alcohol are used to self-medicate this emotional journey, the chances of developing an addiction to drugs or alcohol can increase.

Alcohol and Drug Use During the Coming Out Process

Coming out is often an extremely stressful prospect. For many years, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered men and women have been grappling with their sexuality, feeling alienated or different, and hiding their emotions and identity from others. This can lead to a host of mental and emotional stressors, as one faces a choice between ostracization by their existing community and loved ones, or the equal loneliness of self-betrayal. The coming out process also leads to potential judgment and condemnation from family and friends, or the unfortunate experience of recognizing homophobia in their communities.

Because of these real, buried stressors and traumas, alcohol or drugs can seem like an easy way to escape the pain and obtain a feeling of security. However, self-medicating with alcohol or drugs never truly eliminates pain, but only temporarily numbs it. As drug and alcohol dependency begin to take a hold, individuals with alternative lifestyles in the GLBT community can end up experiencing addiction that only serves to isolate them further and lower their self-esteem.

Sometimes, the root cause of the drug addiction or alcohol dependency is negative self beliefs that do not embody the truest sense of self—but simply have cropped up as others’ voices of criticism have been owned within. Oftentimes there is such great internal pressure and self criticism, drugs and alcohol are abused to drown out those negative voices in order to cope. Alcohol and drugs can also be used as “social lubricants,” aiding conversation and allowing people to feel less inhibited. In fact, social situations in the GLBT community tend to involve more alcohol and drug use than social gatherings on the whole.

Finding Freedom From Drug and Alcohol Abuse During the Coming Out Process

When drug and alcohol use become an integral part of anyone’s life, it can result in chemical dependency. All of the very valid emotional needs and reasons that led to alcohol or drug abuse in the first place still remain problematic and unmet. This can lead to a cycle of chemical dependency that can only be cured once drug or alcohol detox has been achieved, and inpatient recovery centers sought out. Once the body is freed from the physical addiction to drugs or alcohol, individualized therapy can help heal the underlying root causes that lie behind the addiction and the desire to use or drink in the first place. Ultimately, this leads to healing for the body, higher self esteem and a renewed sense of purpose, as you learn to embrace your whole self unapologetically.

Related posts:

1. The Bodys Process of Alcohol Detox
2. Taking the Fear Out of the Withdrawal Process
3. Altered Thinking During the Withdrawal Process
4. Removing the Shame of Drug and Alcohol Dependency
5. Drug and Alcohol Treatment Within the Justice System
6. Mental Disorders Marked by Dependency
7. Dependency as an Attempt at Emotional Balance
8. Drug Dependency in Parenthood
9. Neurotoxicity in Drug and Alcohol Dependency
10. Ethanols Addictive Properties
11. The Relationship Between PTSD and Dependency
12. Nicotine as a Gateway Drug
13. Drug and Alcohol Recovery in Therapeutic Communities
14. Does Genetics Cause Dependency
15. Can Dependency Be Cured
16. Heart Disease and Alcohol Dependency
17. Sexual Abuse as a Root Cause for Dependency
18. Betrayal as a Root Cause of Dependency
19. Shame as a Root Cause for Chemical Dependency
20. Effects of Alcohol and Drug Use on Genetic Conditions