Treating teens who are a sexual minority and use substances

Abstract

Avery is a patient I worked with earlier on in my clinical career (name and details have been altered for confidentiality). She identified as cisgender, bisexual, white adolescent female. Avery was referred to home-based services following an inpatient admission due to suicidal ideation, an active eating disorder, anxiety symptoms, and substance use. She was experiencing an increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms prior to admission due to family stress after disclosing sexual abuse with DCYF [Department of Children, Youth, and Families] becoming involved. Avery reported a history of experiencing negative comments made about her sexuality and feeling othered by peers at school. On top of this, she was in the refeeding stage (the process of increasing caloric intake to achieve weight goal) of her eating disorder treatment and trying to learn to navigate a new family environment. Aivery was not unique in turning to substances as a coping strategy.