While there are many addiction treatment centers that offer services to both men and women, there are also rehab facilities that are specifically dedicated to servicing women. There are many reasons that female addicts may not feel comfortable sharing their treatment experience with men, so they may choose a facility that specifically treats women. In general, this provides a safer space for women to open up and communicate honestly with counselors, therapists, and other women in recovery.
Going through treatment together with other women, while also being separated from men, enables the women to genuinely connect with one another. They can support each other freely without the competition that can arise in a co-ed environment. While all treatment centers maintain strict rules about developing romantic relationships in rehab, the intermingling of genders can become a distraction. Entering a women’s only treatment center removes those distractions and helps each recovering addict focus on her recovery.
The more widely understood reason for a women’s treatment center is that it provides a place to recover that’s removed from abusive or harmful situations. In many cases, women turn to drugs or alcohol to help them cope with having been victims of domestic abuse. The euphoric state that the drugs or alcohol provide helps them deal with the physical pain caused by the abuse, while also helping them escape the reality of their situation. In other cases, the addiction may have come first.
Every person who develops an addiction tends to engage in high-risk behavior, particularly in terms of obtaining more drugs to feed their addiction. For women, this may mean putting themselves in dangerous situations by associating with drug dealers and others who may assault them. Entering into a women’s only facility allows them to go through treatment, understanding that a spouse, lover, or drug dealer won’t be able to get to them for the duration of their treatment. This helps women in recovery feel safe, so they can focus on the treatment process. By the time they finish their rehab program and leave the facility, they may be able to enter a halfway house, or relocate to another city where those from her past will be unable to find her.
Addiction Treatment Centers Focus on Women’s Needs
It’s rare for women to only struggle with addiction without experiencing other problems. In most cases, female addicts also have other emotional and social problems that need to be addressed. For example depression, anxiety, and eating disorders are all common problems that co-occur along with the addiction. It’s not uncommon for an emotional problem such as depression, to cause the substance abuse. In attempting to cope with emotional problems, women tend to self-medicate and that’s what initially starts the cycle of addiction.
The euphoric sensation of drugs or alcohol help them cope with their psychological or emotional problems, but, as the drug wears off, they crash and feel worse than they did before taking the drug. That encourages them to take heavier and more frequent doses, so they can reduce those negative feelings. As their brains become accustomed to the presence of the drug or alcohol, they develop a tolerance and require more to achieve the same effect.
Recognizing the complex situations that challenge female addicts, women’s treatment centers provide comprehensive services that address these varying problems simultaneously. The process begins with an intake procedure that involves a dual diagnosis analysis to identify the psychological problems that may be accompanying the addiction. This helps the staff develop a customized treatment strategy that’s designed to treat the underlying emotional problems. In addition to one on one therapy and group counseling sessions, this can involve specialized therapy.
Some of the types of therapy that women in recovery may be able to benefit from include cognitive behavioral therapy and holistic treatment among other types of treatment. Even after the addiction treatment program has been successfully completed, recovering addicts may pursue outpatient therapy as a means of continuing to address their emotional problems. As they live in sober living homes and try to rebuild new lives for themselves, recovering female addicts will be able to use resources to ensure they continue living sober, healthy, and safe lives.
If you’re a woman who is struggling with addiction, entering a female-only treatment center can help you adopt a healthier lifestyle. You can call us at 833-820-2922 to speak with a counselor anytime of the day or night. We’re available seven days a week to answer your questions and help you get on the road to recovery.