From Stigma to Support: Empowering LGBTQ+ Individuals in Recovery

Maggie Rogers
Jun 16
2 min read

By: Maggie Rogers

June 17th 2025

Empathy, support, and resources can help individuals recover and feel accepted.
Save a Life Recovery Resource Center offers a safe, welcoming space without judgment.
The center provides weekly and monthly structured programs, open drop-in hours, and creative time.
Feeling part of a community can reduce the risk of substance use.
LGBTQ+ individuals face challenges such as stigma, discrimination, hate crimes, social rejection, isolation, and limited access to healthcare.
These challenges contribute to higher rates of substance use disorder in the LGBTQ+ community.

In June, the rainbow flag waves across cities worldwide as communities celebrate Pride Month. Here at Save a Life, it is a time to reflect on the pressing yet often overlooked issue of the elevated rates of substance use in LGBTQ+ communities.

People in the LGBTQ+ community face many challenges. Some of those challenges include stigma, discrimination, challenges such as hate crimes, social rejection, isolation, and access to healthcare. These are just some of the factors that impact the higher rates of substance use disorder in the LGBTQ+ community. According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 6.7% of LGBTQ+ adults in 2020 misused prescription opioids or heroin in the past year, compared to the 3.6% of the overall adult population. It also reported that between 20-25% of the LGBTQ+ community have moderate to severe alcohol dependency, compared to 5-10% of the general population.

Substance use is not a moral failing but often a response to trauma and exclusion. Offering empathy, support, and resources can help individuals find paths to recovery and self-acceptance. At Save a Life Recovery Resource Center, we have created a safe space of community. Research shows that when one feels part of a larger community, the risk of substance use decreases. We have weekly and monthly programs that are more focused and structured, but we also have open drop-in hours and open creative times. Taking that first step through the door can be a challenge. However, you will be greeted with a smile and welcomed without judgment. Whether you come to a program, meet with one of our recovery coaches, or stop by during drop-in hours, we are here to help.

Save a Life Open Hours:

Mondays: 2-6pm

Tuesdays: 3:00-6:00pm

Wednesdays: 2-6:00pm

Thursdays: 3-6:00pm

Fridays: `2-6:00pm

SAVE A LIFE LOCATION: 19 VFW Street, Lincoln, Maine. Phone: 207-403-9100

If you would like to donate there are several ways to do so:

Venmo: @salrecovery: Paypal: director@salrecovery.org

Checks can be mailed to: Save A Life Recovery Resource Center, P.O. Box 12, Lincoln, ME 04457.