Women’s Programs for Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Women need a different approach than men when it comes to tackling a drug and/or alcohol addiction. Studies have shown that up to 70 percent of women who abused drugs and alcohol had a traumatic event in their life, such as a history of being sexually and physically abused. Approximately 40 percent of the nation’s addicts are women who need specific care for dependency, low self-esteem, and the ability to cope with stress.
Women’s drug and alcohol addiction programs offer anger management counseling, individual and group treatment, as well as codependency and relapse prevention. These plans are 30, 60, or 90 day treatment programs that include both inpatient and outpatient therapy. The programs include:
- Intake – The intake process of rehabilitation starts with detoxification (detox), which is the removal of drugs or alcohol from the body. The person is monitored by both addiction and medical professionals during the withdrawals.
- Addiction therapy – Once detox has been completed, the addict will move into addiction therapy for drug, alcohol, or behavior. While in rehabilitation, the addict will interact with other women and talk about issues that women face that led to addiction. Women will usually put their family and kids first rather than admit they have a problem and seek help.
Types of Counseling and Therapy
Women’s plans will include education, exercises, group and individual counseling, family counseling, holistic, faith-based, and non-religious therapies. Regardless of the therapy, all have recovery planning for relapse prevention in mind. Rehabilitation comes in all shapes and forms, so anyone out there looking to become drug- or alcohol-free can choose a therapy. The all-female staff members of the women’s program are available all times of day and some nights where immediate entrance is required. Both the inpatient and outpatient program focuses on women’s health, both mentally and physically.
Many women struggling with drug or alcohol addiction often allow their pain and failures to define their identity on how they view themselves. Women tend to carry these burdens on their shoulders and when the burden becomes too heavy they tend to turn to drugs and alcohol to help them continue to maintain that happy facade they want everyone to believe. A happy family or children or even a marriage is socially accepted in many cultures and that if you are divorced or your child has problems it often is reflected on the mother or woman of the family. These are heavy pressures women face today and they do not just stop at the family level.
Reasons for Addiction among Women
Successful women in the workforce are held to higher standards than men in many positions. They need to do and know more than their counterparts to be treated the same and paid equally. This forces women to work longer hours and still have to raise and family and be a wife in many instances. These are just a few of the reasons why women may turn to drugs and alcohol. However, it is comforting to know that women can receive help that is designed for just them. Women need and can receive special treatments to overcome their addictions.
After rehab, women may choose to continue on an outpatient basis in a women’s program, where they will occasionally still meet with a therapist or other groups who are in recovery. This helps the addict stay on the road to sobriety. The path of addiction always leads to bankruptcy, prison, or even death in some cases. Therefore, getting help to stop and stay clean as soon as possible in the first step.