Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment for Women

Sure Haven was founded on the desire to better the lives of women and is based on a deeper understanding of the women we help. In the past, however, addiction treatment has been operated on the assumption that one size fits all. One approach was to design all programs for men and women and ignore differences.

Research suggests that men and women experience drug and alcohol addiction differently. Not only do they have different biological responses and co-morbid factors, but they also have separate reasons for turning to drugs and alcohol in the first place. Given these differences, men and women often fare best in gender-specific recovery programs.

Women also have different predisposing risk factors, psychological disorders, and family and social risk factors than men. Trauma caused by sexual, physical, or emotional abuse is extremely common among female users and can lead to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, shame, guilt, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD. Women who have experienced trauma often struggle with trust and interpersonal skills, which makes them highly sensitive to group dynamics and interactions with men. For women, addiction and trauma are often inter-related, so an effective substance abuse treatment approach has to address all of these issues at once.

The co-morbid mental health and emotional issues that commonly go along with drug and alcohol addiction are different in men and women as well. Women suffer from depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, and suicidal tendencies more than men. Nearly twice as many women than men are affected by a depressive disorder, and women report experiencing anxiety disorders and attempting suicide about twice as often as men. In addition, more than 90 percent of people in the U.S. who have eating disorders are young women. Based on these inherent biological, social, and psychological differences, men and women often thrive in gender-specific treatment groups.

According to a number of studies, women are more likely to complete treatment and experience a higher rate of recovery in women-only addiction treatment programs as compared to mixed-gender programs. Part of the reason may be that traditional mixed-gender groups tend to have more male patients, which can result in group therapy sessions that are specifically tailored to men. In male-dominated groups, women are more likely to yield when interrupted and keep their thoughts to themselves.

At Sure Haven, our goal is to help women halt the process of addiction, improve life skills, reclaim a sense of self worth and achieve long-term success and happiness in recovery. We work with our clients, one-by-one, to improve their self-awareness, heighten their understanding of what triggers their addiction, provide the tools to live a peaceful, meaningful and rewarding sober life and support them all along the way. Our hope is to thereby reduce the impact of drug and alcohol abuse upon women, their families and our communities.

When feeling overwhelmed with the decision regarding what treatment center will be right for you, begin by a simple phone call to Sure Haven. We are here to support you in any way we can.