We all know that men and women are different. It doesn’t make one better than the other; they can be equal without being the same. These differences play a major role in addiction and recovery. Ignoring those differences only invites setbacks and relapses. That’s why women-centric treatment is so essential for long-lasting success and sobriety.
What’s different in a successful women’s rehabilitation center, and how can you support their success?
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Women’s Addiction Traits
To understand the difference in treatment protocols, it’s important to acknowledge some male vs. female differences surrounding drug abuse:
- Women get addicted faster than men. They use more intensely because their bodies metabolize drugs and alcohol differently. Substances stay in the woman’s body longer, leading to more intense experiences that last for longer periods. This isn’t a character flaw but a matter of physiology.
- Women are more likely to get pain meds and abuse prescription drugs than men. These drugs can be obtained more discreetly (vs. buying them on the street) and can be used discreetly, too.
- Women are more likely to use drugs and alcohol to numb emotional pain from past trauma. Statistically, women are targeted more often than men by predators and suffer more domestic violence than men.
- Men don’t usually want to talk about their feelings in a group of other men. Women, on the other hand, find strength in shared experiences. They can be vulnerable in a group of women in ways they couldn’t be if men were present.
- Women are more likely to self-medicate a mental disorder like depression or anxiety.
- Due to the way women metabolize substances and the co-occurring mental conditions, women are more likely to relapse.
- Women face more stigma than men regarding their addictions. It’s often viewed as a moral failing rather than a physical weakness.
Treatment Differences
An effective women’s recovery center will take all of these differences into account to achieve long-term results.
Therapy: Women need comprehensive treatment that addresses all aspects of their emotional state in addition to their physical dependencies. If the center doesn’t help them deal with the underlying cause of their addiction before sending them back home, the chances of relapse are high.
Such therapies can help the woman face past traumas like childhood abuse, rape, or domestic violence and deal with the emotions rather than try and bury or numb them. As women commit to these therapies, they can regain the power they seemingly lost through acts of violence and betrayal. They can learn how to set boundaries, create healthy relationships, and have the strength to leave unhealthy ones.
Support: Women need the support of other women. A women’s residential treatment program near them will have knowledgeable female staff that will help women in treatment feel safe so they can focus on their recovery. The program may offer group therapy and alum groups with other women who have survived similar addictions and succeeded in reclaiming their lives. Their examples can be a light to others.
Spirituality: The complexities of life can be overwhelming, especially during the initial phases of recovery when emotions are raw, and women are trying to repair broken relationships. Spiritual practices allow women to center themselves, connect to something greater than themselves, and feel peace in a chaotic world.
Spiritual practices could include meditating, reading uplifting material, praying to a higher power, connecting to nature, or performing grounding exercises. These practices provide a way for women to calm themselves when they feel overwhelmed, triggered by past events or people, frightened, lonely, depressed, or weary from the struggle to maintain a sober and healthy lifestyle.
Planning: Due to women’s higher relapse rates, they must have plans in place for continued treatment after leaving the rehab facility. Recovery in the center, when everyone is focused on her health and well-being, is quite different than maintaining sobriety when facing the sometimes harsh realities of life, like divorce, custody battles, dealing with child protective services, and mending broken relationships with people they’ve hurt with their addiction.
A women’s rehab center can support forward momentum with offerings like:
- Intensive outpatient therapy
- Alumni groups like Renaissance Ranch’s Sober Sisters offered through our women’s substance abuse treatment program in Idaho
- An arsenal of coping techniques and strategies
- A passion project that will engage women, connect them to their community, and give them a purpose
- A support system with people committed to helping them stay clean
How Can You Help a Woman Needing Drug or Alcohol Rehabilitation Services?
Committing to an inpatient program is scary, but these programs provide the safest way to detox and the surest path to recovery. Let your loved one know that there are medications the doctor can administer that will help mitigate the withdrawal symptoms during detox. Assure them that they have your support throughout the process of recovery and beyond. Engage in family or group counseling if asked to do so. If the woman has children, make sure she knows they will be safe and cared for while she gets healthy for her family.