Men and women experience addiction differently.1 They start using alcohol and drugs for different reasons, keep using alcohol and drugs for different reasons, and women have different needs during and after treatment.
In our overall philosophy, we believe gender makes a difference when seeking help for alcohol or drug addiction.
Why do Women Start Using?
Studies have shown that women are more likely to start using alcohol and drugs by being introduced to it by a significant relationship such as a boyfriend or family member, and continue using alcohol and drugs as a way to connect with that significant relationship.
Once this pattern is made women sometimes find themselves addicted themselves. Women often become addicted quicker. In fact researchers have found that the rate at which women first use injectable drugs is faster than with men.
Women will often use drugs and alcohol to cope with anxiety, trauma, physical and sexual abuse. Poverty, marital status, experiences of discrimination, and family role are also risk factors for substance use disorders in women.
While data shows that women are able to stop or moderate substance use while pregnant, it also shows that after birth the use often continues and increases due to the added stress of having a baby.
When women finally get to a point they need and seek treatment, they encounter barriers different from men. Women are often the primary caregivers of children in the home. Being away from loved ones is both difficult on the mother and the family. Very often a woman might leave treatment before she has developed necessary coping skills because she is needed at home or misses her family.
Is Treatment Different for Women?
Having empathetic and competent staff in place is essential for successful treatment, especially for women. Knowing the gender specific experiences, risk factors, and successes of women in recovery is vital in creating a safe space and building a solid therapeutic relationship.
Bay Area Recovery Center has a dedicated inpatient treatment facility specifically for women. Gender-specific residential recovery centers provide a safe and trusting environment where women can build sober support with their peers while receiving exceptional care from experienced staff.
Bay Area Recovery Center’s Women’s inpatient facility is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of female clinicians, including Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors, Registered Nurses, social workers, trauma specialists, direct care staff, and physicians. Each clinician brings knowledge and empathy of the female experience into the therapeutic relationship.
Families and support systems are included and serve as collaborators, if desired. Treatment Plans include family education group sessions, individual family sessions, multiple visitations each week, and relapse prevention planning with support personnel involvement.
Help is available for Women
Alcohol and drug use comes with a lot of guilt and shame, especially for women. Women might feel isolated with their pain or confusion, desperately wanting to stop using but unable to.
Bay Area Recovery Center’s women’s facility has been helping women overcome alcohol, drugs, shame, and trauma for over 30 years. If you are a woman who is struggling with alcohol or drugs and needs help, please reach out to us. We can help.