Addiction And The Transgender Community: Where To Get Help

Addiction is a chronic disease that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender identity, race, or sexual orientation. But, research shows, the transgender community is at an elevated risk.

Drugs can be used as a way to cope with gender dysphoria, lack of acceptance, discrimination, stigma, and other stressors commonly experienced by trans people.

Unfortunately, concerns about discrimination, stigma, and a lack of acceptance by treatment staff and other clients can be a barrier to treatment for people who are transgender.

This concern may be especially heightened when it comes to addiction treatment centers that separate clients by gender.

Do Gender-Separate Rehab Programs Accept Transgender Clients?

An increasing number of rehab centers in the United States offer LGBTQ+ friendly rehab, which serves to offer a healing environment for people with addiction that is fully inclusive.

Trans-inclusive care may be offered by, for example:

• inpatient treatment centers
• residential treatment centers
• outpatient treatment centers
• individual healthcare providers (e.g. a counselor)

Still, rules surrounding gender separation in rehab centers can differ from one drug addiction treatment center to the next. And it’s understandable for this to be a concern of trans clients.

A rehab center may offer gender-specific programs, for instance, or offer gender-separate group sessions.

What Are Common Barriers To Addiction Treatment For Trans Clients?

Studies show there are a number of common structural barriers faced by transgender people with substance use disorder who are either considering or who have sought treatment.

Common barriers to addiction treatment for transgender people can include:

• lack of access to gender-affirming care in drug rehab
• gender–separate rehab programs/treatment services
• lack of LGBTQ-specific treatment professionals on staff
• concerns about exposure to stigma or discrimination
• cultural incompetence among treatment staff and administrators

The LGBTQ community is also more likely to have financial barriers to drug or alcohol addiction treatment and to lack access to health insurance to help pay for treatment.

All of these barriers combined — expectations of stigma, and financial barriers – can make the treatment landscape more inaccessible for trans people compared to the general population.

Are There Transgender Drug Rehab Programs?

There are treatment centers in the U.S. that specialize in offering LGBTQ+ specific programs for addiction, mental health disorders, and co-occurring disorders.

There are also substance use disorder treatment programs that, although not LGBTQ+ specific, do offer addiction treatment for transgender clients in an inclusive treatment environment.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a federal health agency, classifies the degree of LGBTQ+ sensitivity offered by rehabs as follows:

• anti-LGBTQ (the least accepting/unaccepting)
• traditional treatment (neutral)
• LGBTQ-naive
• LGBTQ-tolerant
• LGBTQ-sensitive
• LGBTQ-affirming (the most tailored to the specific needs of the LGBT community)

What Accommodations Are Available For Trans People In Addiction Treatment?

Treatment centers that offer LGBTQ+ affirming care may offer trans-specific treatments or other accommodations for trans clients.

This is meant to create a treatment environment that can adequately support transgender clients and address the unique challenges of addiction and recovery in this community.

Trans-specific treatments/inclusionary practices may include:

• trans-affirming groups/workshops
• LGBTQ+ treatment staff
• continuation of hormone therapy during inpatient stays
• use of preferred names and pronouns by all staff
• appropriate housing assignments
• treatment modalities shown to be more effective for trans clients
• gender-neutral bathrooms

The availability of gender-affirming care in treatment settings varies by state, and the legal landscape around such care has changed significantly in recent years. Trans people seeking treatment are encouraged to ask treatment centers directly about their specific policies and accommodations.

Why Is Trans-Specific Treatment Important?

Transgender people often face additional barriers to care. But they can also face unique challenges in their day-to-day life that can require a specialized treatment approach.

Transgender people, for instance, experience disproportionate rates of:

• trauma
• economic insecurity
• discrimination
• abuse
• dysphoria
• mental health issues
• dual diagnosis
• homelessness
• violence
• substance use disorder

Addressing these issues through an inclusive lens can be critical for a person’s healing process, particularly for a community that is at an elevated risk for addiction and relapse.

What Are Common Drugs Of Misuse For Transgender People?

Research, including the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, consistently shows elevated rates of the following substances compared to cisgender populations:

• alcohol
• tobacco
• marijuana
• stimulants

Illicitly manufactured fentanyl has also emerged as a significant concern, consistent with broader overdose trends.

Where Can I Find Trans-Inclusive Treatment For Addiction?

At AddictionResource.net, we offer a helpline and online contact options in order to connect people with a treatment program that’s right for them, or a loved one.

That includes trans-inclusive treatment programs in the U.S. for people who are transgender, nonbinary, or have a friend, family member, or other loved one who is.

Find A Trans-Friendly Rehab Program Today

Browse our directory or reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for more information about addiction recovery.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff