OxyContin Drug Addiction
For many members of the gay, lesbian, transgendered and bisexual community, prescription drug addiction only serves to add to the challenges they already face. OxyContin abuse begins early, with four percent of 12th graders across the nation admitting to non-medical use of the drug within the last year, according to the Monitoring the Future Survey. Unfortunately, drug addiction tends to occur at even higher rates among the LGBT population than it does for the general population – particularly due to the stress of isolation, prejudice and ostracization that create the desire to escape with prescription drug abuse. In fact, one 1999 study found that gay men were four to seven times more likely to have engaged in illegal use of sedatives such as OxyContin than their heterosexual peers.
LGBT OxyContin Detoxification and Addiction Treatment
In the vast majority of cases, OxyContin has not been taken according to the prescribing doctor’s instructions. Instead, the drug is chewed, insufflated or crushed in order to release a potent high. Unfortunately, methods of snorting or orally ingesting chewed OxyContin tablets can lead to an instant – and fatal – overdose. Moreover, as OxyContin abuse continues, the opiate leads to higher levels of dependency, and physical consequences such as liver damage, respiratory problems, muscle and bone pain, nausea, severe constipation and dehydration.
Psychologically, continued OxyContin addiction can also create a series of disruptive effects, including personality changes, mood swings, cognitive difficulties, lowered attention span, psychosis, delirium and depression. Because of these effects of the drug, many LGBT individuals who try to detoxify alone or engage in “cold turkey” methods of self-rehabilitation quickly relapse. For most, professional detoxification is necessary in order to prevent serious medical complications that can arise during cessation of OxyContin and to mitigate the effects of withdrawal, cravings and mental health issues that may arise once drug use is stopped.
Facing OxyContin Drug Addiciton as an LGBT Individual
For many who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, admitting to OxyContin drug addiction only serves to fuel fears of further stigma. In fact, until the last two decades, prescription drug addiction itself had existed below the radar, with many individuals seeking treatment for drug addiction finding themselves labeled and isolated. However, with progressive, compassionate treatment, the physical and psychological components of OxyContin addiction can be successfully treated. With supportive group therapy, individualized and family counseling, nutrition and fitness training, and life skills coaching that addresses LGBT issues, individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered can find freedom from OxyContin abuse. Many inpatient drug rehabilitation programs even offer transitional planning to help find LGBT-friendly therapists or physicians, as well as local, dedicated LGBT 12-step meetings for continued care.
