Women’s Addiction Treatment

Research shows that women’s addiction treatment needs to be based on a holistic and woman-centred approach that acknowledges their psychosocial needs.

Women suffering from alcohol or drug dependency face complex barriers on the road to addiction recovery many of which men, in the same circumstances, are unlikely to experience. Research shows that the number of Australian women struggling with substance abuse disorders is about half that of men – however, it also shows that a much smaller percentage of women with addictions actually seek professional help.

How is women’s addiction different to men’s addiction?

Women’s experiences of drug and/or alcohol addiction differ from the experiences of male addicts in a variety of ways, both mental and physical.

While the symptoms of addiction and the substance abuse behaviour of women and men are mostly similar, it is important to understand the psychological, circumstantial and even some biological differences specific to women’s addiction.

Why women's addiction treatment needs to be different:

Women are more likely to develop an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol in response to being with a partner suffering from addiction
Women face a much harsher judgement from society when it comes to substance abuse and are therefore less likely to reach out for help
Women’s addiction co-occurs with depression, anxiety and PTSD much more frequently than men’s addiction
Over 60% of women with substance abuse issues have experienced sexual abuse as a child and/or sexual assault as an adult
Women suffering from addiction are very frequently exposed to either domestic violence or violence in their social circle
Women respond more readily to alcohol and most other drugs and may become addicted faster than males suffering more extreme physical side effects in a shorter time. This is known as “telescoping”

Addiction treatment for women

Alcohol

Women show a significantly faster progression from initial alcohol use to full-blown dependency than men; this telescope effect is thought to be due to factors such as the lower percentage of body water and a slower alcohol metabolism.

Research also shows that women are more likely than men to drink in order to dull negative emotions rather than seeking to enhance positive moods.

As a consequence, women suffering from alcohol dependency often co-present with mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Successful alcohol addiction treatment for women should take an integrated treatment approach, meaning that all mental health concerns are addressed alongside the addiction.

Learn more about alcohol addiction

Ice/crystal methamphetamine

Ice addiction can have a huge impact upsetting the hormonal balance of female users; which makes detoxing from ice an intense physical and mental challenge and any ice addiction treatment for women should begin with a closely monitored and medically assisted detox.

Ice addiction can have devastating effects on the user’s mental health and many women entering ice addiction treatment programs suffer from mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. These are frequently linked to traumatic experiences preceding the drug abuse.

For this reason ice addiction treatment program’s for women should integrate intensive counselling and therapy, commonly called dual diagnosis treatment.

Learn more about ice addiction

Heroin

Women frequently start using heroin due to a relationship. 9 out of 10 female heroin users have a male sexual partner also addicted to heroin and 5 out of 10 were first injected with heroin by a male sexual partner.

It is therfore very common that women seeking heroin addiction treatment often face a relationship break-up at the same time, which can complicate their recovery.

It is therefore inportant that heroin addiction treatment for women includes integrated treatment to address the underlying issues and emotional baggage of the heroin addiction alongside its medical repercussions.

Learn more about heroin addiction

Cannabis

Women suffering from cannabis addiction are less likely to enter a treatment program, as they often do not feel directly endangered by their drug use. But it is an addiction that should not be ignored.

Cannabis addiction is in some ways more complex to treat than addictions to ‘harder’ drugs such as ice and heroin. This is because the side effects are commonly mental rather than physical.

However research has shown that women frequently using cannabis commonly suffer from eating disorders, which can cause significant physical damage. There appears to be a particularly strong correlation between bulimia and cannabis use.

Because cannabis has a profound effect on the user‘s appetite, treating treating eating disorders alongside cannabis abuse can be challenging as the two tend to be inextricably linked.

Women entering treatment for cannabis addiction are unlikely to experience severe physical symptoms of withdrawal; however, the mental strain of ceasing cannabis use is not to be underestimated and women’s addiction treatment for cannabis should involve a focus on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to identify the thoughts and feelings that link to your addictive behaviour.

Learn more about cannabis addiction

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77%

of people over 14 consume alcohol

Dual diagnosis women’s addiction treatment

Mental health issues commonly co-occur with substance abuse issues in female clients; especially in women addicted to cannabis and stimulant drugs such as cocaine and ice.

Common co-occuring addiction and mental health issues:

Alcohol and depression
Alcohol and anxiety/panic attacks
Cocaine and severe depression
Ice (crystal methamphetamine) and schizophrenia
Poly-drug use and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Cannabis and eating disorders (bulimia and anorexia)

In order to give women the best chances of achieving long-term recovery, it is important to address the substance abuse and mental health disorders alongside each other, as they are often closely linked.

A women’s rehab program should include extensive counselling and therapy, with the aim to determine whether the addictions are a by-product of a mental health condition or vice versa.

Addictions and eating disorders in women are often closely related to feelings of inadequacy and failure when women are unable to attain the unfair standards set for them by their surroundings; so it is vital for their recovery process to acknowledge any emotional and mental anguish that might be contributing to their substance abuse.

It is essential a women’s rehab offers women a safe space to explore the underlying causes of their struggles; it should be non-judgemental, gentle and in-depth, to equip recovering addicts with as much insight and coping strategies as possible.

Addiction treatment for mothers

Motherhood and all its social connotations plays a huge role in the way women address their addictions and is often a barrier to getting help.

Many mothers are reluctant to seek treatment for fear of losing their children once they admit to having an addiction; or because organising child-care for the duration of a residential treatment program seems like an inpossible challenge.

Knowing that you will not live with your children for an extended period of time is heart-breaking; however, it is important to keep in mind the ultimate goal of being sober and therefore a better mother.

Successfully completing a women’s addiction treatment program will improve the experience of motherhood and provide children with a better childhood, so it is a challenge worth taking on and having children can be a great motivator during recovery.

Child-care during addiction treatment

Making appropriate arrangements for children is the single-most difficult task a mother seeking addiction treatment faces before entering rehab.

Most often, children of mothers in addiction treatment stay either with their other parent or grandparents and in some cases extended family and friends often step in to help with the childcare.

If you have absolutely no-one you can ask to help look after your children when you are away, contact your GP or other professional support systems to help explore options.

Don’t be ashamed – you are making a hard decision that will change your life and that of your children for the better.

Women’s addiction and trauma

Substance abuse in women is often closely linked to trauma.

More than 60% of women seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction have experienced sexual abuse during their childhood, been sexually assaulted as an adult or both.

Many women seeking addiction treatment have also endured situations of domestic violence – sometimes right up to the moment they enter a women’s rehab.

How severe trauma and addiction in women are linked:

Victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and/or assault often turn to drugs and/or alcohol in order to dull their constant mental anguish
Living through trauma without receiving professional support can result in depression, PTSD and severe anxiety; all of which are common co-occurring disorders with substance abuse problems
In many cases, women suffering from addictions are also engaging in self-harming behaviours outside their substance abuse

An important part of women’s addiction treatment is to highlight the connection between a female client’s substance abuse issues and their traumatic life experiences.

It cannot be stressed enough that survivors of trauma, who have developed a substance dependency, are suffering from addiction as a direct result of this trauma; and trauma responses are to be considered normal reactions to abnormal situations.

Being made aware that their circumstances are by no means uncommon can relieve a huge amount of pent-up anxieties for women in rehab; which in turn allows them to fully engage in the treatment process.

Once the connection has been made, women are better able to identify their triggers and responses and let go of some of the guilt and self-loathing they might experience, which will be a valuable resource to achieve sustained recovery.

How much does rehab cost?

Private rehab fees vary based on the level of treatment required.

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60%

of women seeking addiction treatment have experienced sexual abuse.

Changing the family dynamics for women with addiction

Family therapy is an essential part of any women’s addiction treatment plan.

Research shows that women who are addicted have a history of over-responsibility in their families. This means there may be significant emotional consequences attached to their decision to enter treatment for addiction.

Women with partners and children often feel ashamed of their destructive behaviours and its consequences, as women are still expected to be the main care-takers in most family structures.

The partners and children of women struggling with addiction are likely to experience a complex mix of emotions; children often feel angry or guilty as though they could have prevented their mother‘s substance abuse by being ‘better’ or more ‘loveable’. Partners may experience feelings of inadequacy as they were unable to protect their loved one from this harmful scenario.

Women are also likely to be in relationships with male partners who also abuse drugs, so family therapy sessions should address the issue of one partner wanting to stop using, while the other has no desire to do so.

These issues are complex and emotionally draining; however, with professional help, patience and time, most female addicts manage to get to a place in their family relationships where they feel much more secure and respected than before treatment began.

Family therapy should address all emotions experienced by all parties and strive to help families re-connect and re-negotiate power balances in respectful and productive conversation.

It will help families heal collectively, forgive and move on to a better, healthier family dynamic – regardless of what shape this may take.

Aftercare and relapse prevention for women

To reduce the chances of relapse all women completing a residential addiction treatment program should be offered a placement in a transitional housing facility, where they can re-adjust to regular life with regular responsibilities under supervision and at their own pace.

However, as many women completing rehab need (and wish) to return home immediately in order to resume their responsibilities within the family, an open-ended outpatient aftercare program should be available.

Aftercare and relapse prevention programs for women should include regular counselling sessions, group and family therapy meetings, continuation of the 12-Step program and a team of support workers that are available around the clock.

The duration of aftercare programs are completely up to the individual and their treatment team, so women should be under no pressure to deal with their new life unassisted before they feel they are ready.

How to choose a women’s addiction treatment centre

Women seeking addiction treatment should choose a rehab that offers specialised women’s addiction treatment programs.

The treatment centre should be designed to provide female clients with the nurturing and safe environment required to give them the best chance of long-term recovery.

Factors to consider when choosing a rehab for women:

Female counsellors
LGBTQI friendly environment
Female only accommodation
Family support (including frequence of contact with children)
Licensing and accreditation
Types of addictions the rehab treats
Is family therapy part of the treatment program
Length of treatment available
Treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders
Aftercare options
Payment options
Admission time
Location

Article sources

Covington, Stephanie S.; Journal of Psychoactive Drugs; Nov 2008, Women and Addiction: A Trauma-Informed Approach‘, ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, pg. 377
http://staging.mhcc.org.au/media/25322/covington-2008.pdf

Tuchman, Ellen (2010) ‘Women and Addiction: The Importance of Gender Issues in Substance Abuse Research’, Journal of Addictive Diseases, 29: 2, 127-138
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ellen_Tuchman/publication/43227854_Women_and_Addiction_The_Importance_of_Gender_Issues_in_Substance_Abuse_Research/links/00b7d53287b97279c2000000/Women-and-Addiction-The-Importance-of-Gender-Issues-in-Substance-Abuse-Research.pdf

Greenfield, Shelly F. Md MPH; Back, Sudie E. PhD; Lawson, Katie MA; Bradie, Kathleen T. MD PhD (2010); ‘Substance Abuse in Women’; PMC, US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3124962/

Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) (February 21, 2018), ‘Substance Misuse – The Gender Divide Explained’
https://adf.org.au/insights/substance-misuse-gender-divide-explained/

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