While drugs do not differentiate between social classes and ethnicity, the basic processes of the brains of men and women operate in distinct ways. They are both human and face many of the same situations; however, the social values instilled in males and females, as well as the chemicals in their bodies, will restructure each one’s reactions. Society has taught each gender a different method of processing feelings in addition to what actions are acceptable for each gender in any given culture. Clinicians have also seen that women may even be more susceptible to some addictions than their male counterparts. Finding a drug rehab program that is geared specifically toward helping women recover helps an immeasurable number of individuals find the sobriety for which they long.
Does addiction affect women differently than men?
Women have fought hard for their right to stand next to men in the world when it comes to being chosen for the same careers, as well as having men perform equally at home; however, there remain basic differences on how their bodies will react to exterior and interior stimuli.
Perhaps a mother is at her wit’s end trying to juggle the responsibilities involved in being a parent, having her own career, being a wife, furthering her education, and taking care of her parents. She not only has no time to recharge herself, she is barely keeping her head above water. She goes to the doctor for something to assuage her anxiety and is given benzodiazepine, or Xanax. She did not think it was possible to appreciate the dulling of her senses, but she is now able to go through her day and not feel like she is going to have a nervous breakdown. Soon, she is taking it four times a day AND drinking wine at night. Then her neighbor introduces her to marijuana, and she cannot deny that those pot brownies sure did the trick. When she forgets to pick her daughter up at school or is consistently late to work, she realizes that she may have a problem. What are some of the differences on how males and females handle stress and addiction?
- One of the fastest growing sectors of drug users in America are women. About 200,000 women die each year from a SUD (substance use disorder).
- The chances of women suffering from depression and anxiety is twice as high as men. To handle these negative feelings, they self-medicate with alcohol and drugs.
- Interestingly, a man will have drug cravings when there is a drug-related trigger; however, women will do so as a response to psychological triggers.
- The chances of women facing violent and sexual traumas are higher than that of men, which leads to higher stress and anxiety levels, as well as PTSD.
- Pain is something that humans try to avoid and get rid of at all costs. Researchers have shown that women suffer more intensely from pain and experience it more often than men, requiring more medication for it. Women are also more susceptible to chronic pain and inflammation conditions, like osteoarthritis and autoimmune diseases.
- Hormones are unique between genders, causing more intensity in how women experience cravings, as well as the possibility of their predilection for addiction.
- Marketing campaigns and social media target women with memes and ads promoting mothers drinking at the end of a long day of parenting.
- Women do not always get the help they need because the stigma attached to their drinking is greater than if a man is found to be an addict, especially if they are the main caretaker of the children.
- Women get addicted to drugs faster, specifically seen in drinking alcohol, consuming marijuana, and taking opioids. Research has shown that women who seek help typically use less of the drug than men; however, they present with more medical, behavioral, social, and psychological difficulties.
- On average, only 33% of admissions to drug treatment centers are women. They generally have more obstacles prohibiting them from entering a facility, including:
- financial limitations
- childcare issues
- transportation problems
Do men’s and women’s bodies react to drugs in the same way?
They do not! Not only do women telescope faster, which is the slide from first use to addiction, but there is a different chemical reaction. Drugs change the brain’s chemistry to make people feel like they cannot live without them, but the following differences have been observed in women:
- Stimulants (cocaine and methamphetamine)
- Women use cocaine at a younger age than men and are more likely to develop dependency. Hormonal fluctuations can also increase cravings for cocaine throughout the month and are felt with more intense when they are triggered.
- Opioids (Vicodin and Heroin)
- More women fill prescriptions than men. It is possible it is due to them being more likely to suffer from chronic pain and inflammatory conditions, like fibromyalgia.
- Marijuana
- Women may suffer more medical consequences when they consume any form of cannabis
What unique women’s issues should a program cover?
No matter how far along women have come in being looked at equally by the members of society, as well as the government, vast differences remain. Childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual assault are more prevalent in women than in men. Interestingly, only 12% of cases are ever reported because of the stigma attached to it. Survivors attempt to handle the psychological damage on their own; however, PTSD, depression, and anxiety issues run rampant in females. Equality has placed a great deal of pressure on women, and they use drugs to promote relaxation. Being in a drug rehab center for women may be more soothing if someone has been victimized by a man. In addition to feeling safer, they may also have found that they bond on a deeper level with women and have an inherent trust in them. Women only rehab centers may cover a combination of the following topics:
- Relationships
- Psychological issues lead to low self-esteem and a powerless feeling. In relationships, women may disconnect from partners with whom they are supposed to have a bond, which is common in the aftermath of sexual abuse, violence, power struggles, and feeling unheard.
- Family relationships
- Women raised in homes with sexual, physical, and substance abuse may follow the same pattern throughout their lives. When women juggle too many responsibilities, they may begin having issues with:
- Stress management
- Assertiveness
- Effective parenting
- Problem solving
- Effective communication
- Partner relationships
- Women commonly stay in relationships for financial and social reasons. They also believe that they are a failure if their relationship falls apart and do not want to be a statistic. Therapists need to be aware of this so that they create the vital autonomy in the her.
- Sexuality
- A person’s self-worth is linked to a healthy view of her body and the world’s understanding of who she is as a whole.
- Pregnancy
- Addicts have increased stress when she is pregnant because she does not have the willpower to stop using. She feels guilty knowing the drug will hurt the baby.
- Parenting
- How closely a woman feels to her children can greatly affect recovery. Therapy and parenting classes can help strengthen that relationship.
- Dual diagnosis recognition
- Women who wish to recover from addiction must be treated for the mental health side of abuse by trauma-trained specialists when they are experiencing PTSD symptoms. They may also face depression, anxiety, or chemical imbalances that cause bipolar, borderline personality, and other disorders that may require medications and more intense therapies.
- Financial options that make sense
- Many take insurances, but there are also grants, scholarships, and sliding scale fees that help anyone be able to afford to get help.
What drug rehab programs exist for women?
Picking the program that most closely matches your beliefs and personality helps to increase the likelihood of achieving and maintaining sobriety. Facilities can range from government-funded, non-profit programs to private ones that come with a price tag of tens of thousands of dollars each month. The cost can depend on a variety of factors, including:
- Do you require a residential program or is living at home an option?
- Inpatient programs typically cost more than outpatient drug rehab programs.
- Non-profit centers, like Salvation Army, offer treatment as long as people work in the donation centers for their room and board. Teen challenge is also a non-profit program that offers therapy at a lower cost.
- What kinds of treatment are provided?
- Does the user need medication-assisted treatment (MAT), such as methadone and suboxone?
- What amenities are provided?
- If someone wants access to spas, massages, tennis courts, and acupunctures, those luxuries will cost more
- Longer programs will obviously be pricier as well.
How can I pay for women's drug rehab?
You have decided that it is time to get help, because you cannot guide your children if you are not whole yourself. It may seem overwhelming to choose a program from the plethora of choices, and one of the most stressful parts of choosing a drug rehab for women is the cost. Instead of viewing it as taking on more debt, it must be viewed as an investment in your future. Your life depends on it. People inherently want the best for other humans, and that includes helping those who are addicted to drugs receive the most effective treatment possible. When it is not as simple as writing a check, some options of payment include:
- Health insurance - Insurance is one of the most popular payment methods with coverage depending on the insurer’s policy. Types of insurance include:
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- Obamacare, or the ACA (Affordable Care Act) – This is a state-funded health insurance for addiction recovery.
- Private insurance
- Military insurance, such as may be used in VA centers.
- Grants
- SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - a government branch that provides substance abuse information, as well as assistance funding recovery programs.
- Sliding scale fees - Most centers offer the option of the patient making payments according to their income level.
- Payment plans - Monthly payment plans are offered by most programs. Often financed by third party institutions.
- Savings
- Some people use their IRA, 401k plans, or their home’s equity. This action may seem unthinkable, but there will be no future without the commitment found only with this investment.
- Crowdfunding
- Sites such as GoFundMe allow friends, family, and community to donate to someone’s rehab. People who are contributing can also make payments directly to the facility to avoid any confusion.
Women are simple but complicated. They want to be treated equal despite their differences from men regarding personalities and body structure. These variations do not make them weaker, like society has trained people to think for hundreds of years. They are more likely to have survived a sexual assault, more likely to become addicted to drugs that they try, and still are the ones who run households, businesses, and are the partners that do the majority of child rearing. Not only does society put pressure on them, but they take it and run with it, attempting to maintain the expectations to which they are expected to adhere. Millions of women rely on drugs to get them through their mental anguish and need help. They need the drug rehab to be able to work on themselves and recover.
How Do I Find Drug Rehab For Women Near Me?
