Of the nearly four million people in Los Angeles and the greater LA metropolitan area, almost five percent identify as LGBTQ. Compared to the general population, the rates of substance use disorders and mental health disorders among the LGBTQ community are significantly higher. Open discrimination has resulted in many people choosing to avoid seeking the help they need from what has historically been a heterosexual treatment milieu.
Thankfully, societal views are shifting, and addiction treatment facilities are now developing programs specifically designed for the LGBTQ community. Westwind Recovery® in LA is proud to be at the forefront of this movement, offering LGBTQ substance abuse treatment designed to meet each individual’s unique needs.
Why Choose LGBTQ-Focused Substance Abuse Treatment?
People who identify as LGBTQ have typically experienced discrimination on many personal and public levels. They face obstacles that heterosexual and cisgender peers often simply cannot understand. Many turn to drug and alcohol use as a means of escape from their emotional and psychological pain.
Every person who decides to seek treatment for a substance use disorder experiences feelings of fear and vulnerability. Those in the LGBTQ community often experience these feelings at a deeper level, as they have generally suffered significantly higher levels of stress across multiple areas of daily life. For these individuals, choosing an addiction treatment program that focuses on LGBTQ-specific issues is incredibly beneficial.
Among the reasons to choose an LGBTQ-focused substance abuse treatment program are:
- Treatment team members who are familiar with LGBTQ issues
- Peers who can relate to your experiences
- Finding a sense of belonging
- Treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders
- Feeling safe in the treatment environment
- Making lasting connections
Research indicates that addiction treatment programs that offer LGBTQ-specific therapy options produce better outcomes than non-specialized programs. At Westwind Recovery®, all of our treatment programs and sober living homes are open to members of the LGBTQ community.
More About Westwind Recovery®’s LGBTQ Addiction Treatment Center
At Westwind Recovery® in LA, we challenge ourselves to stay at the forefront of substance abuse and mental health treatment options for our LGBTQ clients. We understand that members of this community have often spent their lives trying to conform to social norms that do not coincide with their identities, leading them to feel isolated and misunderstood.
In our residential, outpatient, and sober living programs, we provide programming that is not only LGBTQ-friendly but designed to address specific issues, including:
- Healthy sexuality
- The relationship between drugs and sex
- Coming out
- Social stigmas
- Discrimination
- Internalized homophobia
- Trauma
At Westwind Recovery®, you do not have to worry about feeling alienated because you will have the support of peers who can relate to your experiences. You will have the opportunity to participate in weekly sessions and 12-step programs specifically designed to address the needs of the LGBTQ community in recovery. We offer a wide range of evidence-based, holistic, and experiential therapies such as:
Participation in a substance abuse treatment program is just the beginning of the recovery journey, which is why we work with a local LGBTQ resource center to provide services after residential care.
Contact Westwind Recovery® for LGBTQ Addiction Treatment in Los Angeles
Substance abuse and mental health disorders do not discriminate. People seeking recovery from addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders should not be afraid to reach out for help because of their sexual orientation. At Westwind Recovery®, not only are all of our treatment options LGBTQ-friendly but we offer an array of LGBTQ-focused programs.
Well-known in LA for our innovative treatment programs, our goal is to help every person who comes to us discover their potential and learn how to live successfully in recovery. To learn more about how our LGBTQ addiction treatment center can benefit you, call us today.
Dr. Deena is the Chief Clinical Officer of Westwind Recovery®, an award-winning outpatient treatment center in Los Angeles where she oversees the clinical and administrative program and treatment methods. Dr. Deena is a doctor of psychology and licensed clinical social worker since 1993. LCSW #20628. Originally from the East Coast, Dr. Deena has worked running treatment centers, worked as a therapist in psychiatric hospitals as well as school settings and currently has a thriving private practice in the LA area. Dr. Deena has appeared regularly on the Dr. Phil Show as an expert since 2003. She has also been featured on many other TV shows, podcasts and has contributed to written publications as well as podcasts.
