Minority Stress, Substance Use, and Resilience: Examining Long-Term Sobriety in the LGBTQ Community

The cumulative stress of living with stigmatized social identities is thought to contribute to disparities in substance use outcomes. Thus, it is important to understand how LGBTQ individuals adapt to and elude poor health outcomes. The present study addressed the need for more insight into factors associated with recovery from SUDs among LGBTQ individuals. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data from in-depth interviews with 16 gender and sexual minorities in long-term recovery, with sobriety times ranging from 2 to 24 years (M = 5.68, SD = 5.27). Five major themes emerged from the participants’ narratives about factors that facilitated their paths to recovery: (a) addressing the interconnectedness of mental health, (b) seeking professional support, (c) seeking social support, (d) forming new habits and healthy coping skills, and (e) finding a sober, LGBTQ identity. The narratives convey the value of integrated and specialized mental health treatment as well as identity-affirming and recovery-facilitative spaces and relationships.