Pride Detox, an affirming addiction treatment center for the LGBTQIA+ community, recently opened in Long Beach. The facility “doesn’t just accept LGBTQ+ folks, it was literally created for LGBTQ+ folks by LGBTQ+ folks,” explains founder and CEO Donna Weinberger in an interview with THE FIGHT.
“The difference between a treatment program that accepts LGBTQ+ folks and a program that’s dedicated to serving the community is highly evident,” states Weinberger.
“People who come to Pride Detox after being in ‘gay friendly’ treatment programs, acknowledge significant structural differences. Some of these particulars include: all gender rooming, immediate access to affirming medications, NEVER asking about body parts or surgeries, NEVER using language that insinuates someone is becoming a different person, but rather finding congruence with authenticity, understanding names and pronouns aren’t ‘preferred’, they’re ‘actual’ ways of identifying oneself, medical records only have someone’s true and authentic name, never to indicate the name assigned at birth.”
“Walking into a space and seeing visibility and representation immediately decreases stigmatization,” explains Weinberger. “Clinically, the group topics center around LGBTQ+ experiences, such as the trauma of growing up in cis/het environment, internalized phobias, microaggressions, the medicine of self-expression, understanding congruence, and navigating family dynamics as LGBTQ+ folks.”
“Socially,” reveals Weinberger, “folks at Pride Detox are included in local LGBTQ+ events, for example—Trans Pride of Long Beach, Trans Day of Remembrance in Long Beach. We recognize the importance of community and connection.”
Originally from the east coast Weinberger says the her “journey to begin doing this work started when I witnessed the challenges and pain faced by those within our community who were marginalized and overlooked.”
“We recognize the unique healthcare needs of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially transgender individuals, and are committed to providing the highest quality of care.”
“I knew then that I wanted to create a place where everyone could feel safe, valued, and supported in their healing journey. I realized that the most vulnerable members of our community could not access the healthcare and affirming spaces their wonderful souls deserved. It was a call to go above and beyond to ensure these people could access spaces for recovery tailored to their needs.”
“Our team of experienced professionals has undergone specialized training in LGBTQIA+ affirming care, and we are dedicated to providing compassionate and effective treatment for our clients,” states Weinberger.
“We recognize the unique healthcare needs of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially transgender individuals, and are committed to providing the highest quality of care.”
“Pride Detox offers trauma-informed, substance use treatment,” explains Weinberger. “We understand in the LGBTQ+ community, trauma is interwoven into the very existence. Growing up in a cisgender / heteronormative society produces LGBTQ+ individuals who feel wrong, unloved, and devalued. Lack of visibility, limited vocabulary, minimal representation—these are the results of cis / heteronormative systems, as well as the causes of internalized transphobia and internalized homophobia. Forced to live a life of suppression and repression, while rejecting authenticity, causes great harm to one’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual existence. In other words, it’s traumatizing. Societal trauma, such as religion, conversion therapy, rejection, and social isolation,
is known to result in self-harm, substance use, anxiety, depression, and suicidality. That being said, Pride Detox focuses on reducing this trauma, which in turn, reduces the need for using substances for social survival. Specifically, beyond this, the levels of care we provide here are Detox and Residential Treatment which combined is about a forty day treatment stay.”
“People begin their journey at their lowest point, often feeling hopeless and helpless—shunned by family and society. Folks having no homes, internally and externally tortured by systems of oppression – isolated and scared. People access Pride Detox in desperation, hoping to find a safe space to heal. Yes, Pride Detox offers treatment services, but let me share with you the actual magic that folks experience at Pride Detox: connection, authenticity, excitement and laughter.”
For more info visit: www.pridedetox.com.
