The first to explicitly offer support to Richmond’s LGBTQIA+ community in Richmond, Peter’s Place is the newest local recovery home and support organization. I actually did not know the magnitude of the addiction that the LGBTQIA+ community struggles with until one of my teachers sent me a link about Peter’s Place.
The rates of substance abuse that affect the LGBTQIA+ communities are extremely high. Substance use in LGBTQIA+ communities is approximately 20-30% while substance use is only in approximately 9% of the total population. People in the LGBTQIA community are also 9.5 times more likely to use heroin than their cisgender, heterosexual peers.
There is clearly a reason for this data being so overwhelming. LGBTQIA+ teens are two times as likely to be bullied, excluded, or assaulted at school. And they're nearly 40 percent less likely to have an adult in their family to whom they can turn. As they cope with stigma, harassment, and even rejection by their families, LGBTQ folks are more likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to abuse drugs and alcohol. Moreover, LGBTQIA+ people who seek recovery are often rejected and struggle to get the care they need. Traditional recovery centers often don’t offer specific care for these marginalized groups, even though they are one of the groups most in need of treatment.
This is why Peter’s Place RVA is so essential to our community. By providing accessible housing and informed care to individuals seeking recovery support, Peter’s Place is helping to reduce the many barriers that LGBTQIA+ people face and supporting those who do not have access to safe, affirming resources.
To learn more about how you can help support Peter’s Place go to: https://www.facebook.com/Peters-Place-RVA-105010671306903/
To learn more about substance abuse among LBTQIA+ communities go to:
https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/education/bcr/addiction-research/lgbtq-substance-abuse-ru-116
Sources:
Works Cited
Great Valley Publishing Company, Inc. LGBT Substance Use - Beyond Statistics, www.socialworktoday.com/archive/070714p8.shtml.
“LGBTQ and Addiction - Addiction in LGBTQ Community.” Addiction Center, 18 June 2020, www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/lgbtq/.
“Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT).” SAMHSA, www.samhsa.gov/behavioral-health-equity/lgbt.
“Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT).” SAMHSA, www.samhsa.gov/behavioral-health-equity/lgbt.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Substance Use and SUDs in LGBTQ* Populations.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 25 Aug. 2020, www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/substance-use-suds-in-lgbtq-populations.
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