January 8, 2025

The epidemic of meth use and addiction has been somewhat buried under years of headlines about the opioid epidemic in the past decade. However, meth continues to ravage communities, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+. Karah Moody, Counselor and LGBTQ+ Program Coordinator at River Oaks Treatment Center, opened up about what the impact she’s seen on her patients in an article in the Washington Blade. Moody states that queer people may be especially susceptible to meth and other substance use in part because there are few safe spaces outside of gay bars where drinking and drug use is the norm. Karah also reports that many of her LGBTQ+ report feeling that their needs and experiences have been invalidating by others and that they’ve ofte felt unsafe or able to live authentically, which can lead to problematic substance use to cope with emotional pain. To learn more about how meth impacts the queer community and Karah’s recommendations for addressing the crisis, read the full article.