Help for addicts.

Aiming to provide better substance abuse treatment for gay patients, the federal government in January issued a new guide to assist in the development of culturally relevant rehabilitation programs for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people.

Released by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the guide explains how homophobia and heterosexism may affect gay addicts, how societal views of homosexuality may fuel self-destructive behaviors, and how violence, discrimination, family problems, isolation, and low self-esteem, among other issues, may lead to alcohol or drug abuse by gays and lesbians.

"One of the things the document addresses and other studies have seen is that there are higher rates of substance abuse in the gay and lesbian community," said Mark Weber, associate administrator of communications for SAMHSA. "That fact, along with other special needs and considerations we've been made aware of, led the agency to look at the population and develop some unique guidelines for treatment professionals."