Warning Signs: Recognizing the Early Indicators of Substance Use in LGBTQ+ People

Warning Signs: Recognizing the Early Indicators of Substance Use in LGBTQ+ People

Casual substance use can sneak up on anyone, especially in the LGBTQ+ community, where stress, trauma, and social pressures can be overwhelming. Before you know it, it can spiral into a debilitating disorder or addiction, wreaking havoc on the queer individuals body, mind, and relationships. Untreated, it can destroy their sense of self, relationships, work, school, and overall well-being. That's why recognizing early warning signs is crucial. Being ignorant of the signs of addiction is a recipe for disaster and will quickly have them on a path toward a substance abuse disorder. Conversely, identifying these signs early can mitigate the future deleterious impact they’d surely have.

Keep reading to discover the early signs of substance use addiction in LGBTQ+ people.

Identifying the Early Signs of Substance Use in an LGBTQ+ Person

In the early stages, an LGBTQ+ person might not show telltale signs of a full-blown substance use addiction. Some early stage clues include

• Mood changes
  Addiction doesn’t just alter a queer individual's outward appearance. Emotional well-being can suffer too, and their personality can change entirely. Mood swings are a common struggle for any LGBTQ+ individual hooked on a substance. These mood swings may either be short-lived or long-standing in nature. For example, in the blink of an eye, an LGBTQ+ person who’s usually warm and affable can become aggressive and abrasive. In a more permanent sense, the queer person addicted to substance use can become impatient, demanding, self-interested, and critical. It can feel like the habit removes the individual's capacity for self-control and understanding. For their friends and family members, developments like this can be as confusing as they are troubling. An LGBTQ+ loved one you’ve known for years can seem like a total stranger.

• Changes in physical appearance
  Addiction can take its toll on a physical appearance, too. Everything about the impact it has can lead to alterations in the individual’s appearance. For example, many LGBTQ+ struggling with drug or substance use addiction begin to prioritize drugs over food. As a result, they start to lose weight to an unhealthy level. Other possible changes include an overall decline in their personal hygiene, which is a conglomerate of the individual's unbrushed hair, unwashed clothes, and poor oral hygiene. Yellowed teeth, bloodshot eyes, and a general air of dishevelment are other warning signs to be on the lookout for. However, it’s important to note that not every queer person struggling with addiction will show physical changes. A queer person can seem, for all intents and purposes, unchanged on the outside; underneath that veneer may lie a serious illness. Thus, be sure to keep the other signs of addiction on this list in mind, too.

• Difficulty in quitting
  The inability to quit a substance is the hallmark or most defining sign of substance use addiction in an LGBTQ+ individual. This will require a certain level of vigilance in the life of the queer loved one. Of course, this  may seem impossible if the loved one's use of the drug or substance is hidden or unknown in the first place. However, attention can still be paid to the habits of the person who must have been known to have dabbled in the past. Watching out for loved ones  who’ve started increasing their consumption of a particular substance and/or seem more focused on it than they once were will help in their recovery process as they can consider seeking professional help. In reality, though, this particular tip applies more to an investigation of personal substance or drug-taking practices.

• Increases risk taking behavior
  It’s hard to overstate the power that full-blown addiction can hold over a queer person. They  often cannot control themself, and as time goes by, they experience a genuine physical need to consume the substance. More often than not, this can cause the LGBQ+ individual to take exceptional risks to get their hands on the substances as they lack alternative means of sourcing it. They’ll get involved with clandestine acts, for example, they might turn to theft, prostitution, or even gang activity. In the lead-up to addiction, though, the risk-taking can look different. Under the influence, the LGBTQ person might behave erratically or in risky ways. They might drive at excessive speeds, have unprotected sexual intercourse, or even form new friendship groups of questionable character.

• Physical evidence: scattered remnants of drugs
  Seeing actual physical evidence of drug-taking or substance use constitutes a definite red flag. Of course, the evidence itself can take various forms. Scattered remnants of the drugs themselves, such as rolling papers, tin foil, bongs, glass pipes, and needles are just a few examples of the tell-tale drug paraphernalia. Be wary if these are noticed in the bedrooms or houses of an LGBTQ+ loved one. Even though this doesn’t always indicate addiction, it is still a fairly clear sign of drug-taking. This indicates the drug or substance use severity and, thus, how worried a loved one should be. Even seeing the implements of heroin use (teaspoons, needles, tin foil, and so on) should be taken seriously.

What to Do Next When These Early signs of Substance Use are Noticed in An LGBTQ+ Person

Nothing is scarier than seeing early warning signs of substance use in an LGBTQ+ loved one. Thankfully, identifying these tell-tale warning signs can help the queer person out of it as soon as possible. Moreover, any behavior that is unusual even if it’s not listed here is cause to address the topic with the LGBTQ+ loved one.

Once the early warning signs of addiction have been identified, the next step to take is to have a conversation about it with the LGBTQ+ loved one. While there’s no perfect thing to say, two major points have to be touched.

• They are not alone. There is always help
• Getting professional treatment is important.

While responses may vary, remember that it’s not up to anyone to get the LGBTQ+ person into treatment. That is a decision only the queer individual can make. However, they can be encouraged and supported every step of the way.

Get Help Today!

As a family member, friend, or coworker, it’s difficult to watch substance use addiction damage an LGBTQ+ loved one you care about. Thankfully, you can pay attention to early warning signs of substance use so that you’re equipped to take the next step in helping them find healing. At Q Space Detox, you or your LGBTQ+ loved one can get the best intervention available. With a variety of programs and a flexible schedule, you’re sure to find something that fits your needs or the needs of your LGBTQ+ loved one. Contact us at 305-745-7768 to get connected today.