Drug rehab for women needs to be quite different than drug rehab for men. Women suffer from different environmental and health-related issues than men, not to mention there are often different circumstances that lead women to addiction. Therefore, it only makes sense that drug rehab for women should be different.
Gender Specific Needs in A Drug Rehab
In general, it is more common for women to turn to substance abuse as a form of self-medication. There are many factors specific to women that may be difficult to cope with, leading to the start of substance abuse and often times addiction.
For example, women are more likely than men to turn to drug and alcohol abuse because of self-esteem issues. Body and self-image issues are a huge part of this and because of these issues a drug rehab for women needs to be equipped to treat eating disorders in addition to addiction.
Additionally, co-dependence is commonly a factor of addiction for women. This may lead to unhealthy or abusive relationships, and specific treatment for codependency is often a necessary part of treatment in a drug rehab for women.
Women are also more likely to suffer from other psychological issues along with addiction including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, and many others.
Many of these issues may be caused by factors specific to women such as issues with pregnancy, fertility, physical or sexual trauma, or abusive relationships. An effective drug rehab for women will offer a dual diagnosis treatment program in order to properly diagnose and treat these issues.
Substances Abused
A drug rehab for women should also be able to specialize in the treatment of the substances that women are more likely to become addicted to. There are certain drugs that women are shown to abuse more often than men. Prescription medication is one such drug in part because women are far more likely than men to be prescribed medications, which may become addictive.
Women are also shown to be four times more likely than men to end up abusing heroin as their first drug abused. Heroin is highly addictive and very dangerous and a drug rehab for women must be able to offer effective treatment for opiate addiction and any other addictive substances.
Drug rehab for women must be taken with the approach that women are different than men. They suffer more commonly from different issues with abuse and different factors that contribute to their addiction. Women also tend to learn and heal differently than men, being shown to do better in programs that are focused on women and include supportive group therapy.
Destination Hope: The Women’s Program is a drug rehab for women that takes special care in understanding the issues and needs of women who are suffering from addiction. By concentrating on methods that are designed to best help women specifically, they are able to offer effective treatment and help women maintain long-term sobriety.
If you or someone you care about is suffering from drug or alcohol addiction, please call our counselors. We are here to help guide you through the recovery process and answer all of your questions.
