LGBT Substance Abuse and Recovery

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Coming Out and Coming Clean

• LGBT Substance Abuse and Recovery

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Psycho-Social Dynamics for LGBT Youth

• Family
• School
• Religion
• Peer Relations
• Internal Dynamics

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FAMILY

• Lack of Acceptance
• What Becomes of the Broken Hearted by E. Lyn
  Harris
• Advocates for Youth

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SCHOOL

• Lack of Acceptance and Rejection
• Advocates For Youth Nationwide Survey
• Massachusetts Governors Commission on Gay and
  Lesbian Youth

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RELIGION / CHRISTIANITY

• Scriptures Romans 126-27 and Leviticus 1822
  I Corinthians 6 9-10
• Leslie from Will and Grace speaking at
  recovery meeting.
• PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

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PEER RELATIONS

• TEASING
• VIOLENCE
• ISOLATION

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INTERNAL DYNAMICS

• THE WORDS OF LGBT YOUTH

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• I was pushed around and called names.
• Being in the closet is like being in a dark hole
  for days.

9

• My friends said they were OK at first, later
  they turned their back on me.
• I felt ignored and betrayed.
• My high school years were hell.
• Don, 19 pg. 6

10

• When I went to high school, I just tried not to
  think about it, but then came the point when
  ignoring my truth became debilitating.
• I can remember lying in bed at night being
  simultaneously petrified and resigned to never
  being able to be happy.

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• I probably would have dropped out if I had to
  face another year of high school.
• The awful thing is I love school. I love to
  learn, but for me it wasnt about learning
  anymore. It was about making it through the day
  in one piece.
• Kerry, 16 pg. 16

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• I came out because the lonliness of the closet
  was sucking all the life out of my body
• I needed to come out in order to survive
• I was terrified of loosing my beloved family,
  friends and of facing up to my own homophobia

13

• I got way too close to suicide when I was in the
  close. I hated my life.
• I was tiered of lying and being afraid
• One night I found myself with a knife in my hand,
  Nothing can hurt more than this, I had to end my
  pain

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What Can We Do?

• Know yourself/your limits
• Become a safe zone
• Encourage your organization to become a safe zone
• Come out if youre LGBT and you can
• Read more about this population
• Request more training on this issue

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Comments and Questions