There has been a shift in recent years from exclusively studying men in connection with addiction to including women in research studies. The result is that more is known and understood about how substance abuse affects women. Though there is some overlap between men and women when it comes to drug and alcohol dependence, there are unique factors that affect women, as well as specific risks they face due to their addiction. If you’re concerned about a woman in your life who you suspect has a substance use disorder (SUD), consider the value of a substance abuse program for women in NC like Insight Recovery Center.
To understand your loved one’s addiction and her prognosis, it’s important to learn more about substance abuse in women and what the struggles are for women in recovery.
Unique underlying causes of substance abuse in women
The psychological underpinnings of addiction among women are complex and different from the roots of male addiction. Women often face unique stressors, including trauma, caregiving pressures, relationship issues, and social stigma, which can contribute to substance use as a form of coping. Recognizing these gender-specific factors is essential for understanding not only why addiction may develop, but also how to tailor support and treatment in a way that truly meets a woman’s needs.
Some causes may include:
Trauma and mental health struggles
Women’s experiences with childhood trauma, sexual assault, and domestic abuse—all of which they experience at higher rates than men—lead them to use drugs and alcohol and put them at greater risk of addiction.
Self-medication and coping mechanisms
Drugs and alcohol often provide women with a buffer that they believe helps them manage stress and handle symptoms of anxiety or depression.
Social pressures
Women often find themselves trapped by unrealistic social expectations, feeling examined and judged both on and off social media. They are expected to excel in multiple roles, including career and family. Drugs and alcohol that sedate the nervous system can seem to ease these pressures.
Women’s pain and hormone fluctuations
Menstrual pain is often compared to the pain of potentially life-threatening conditions, and yet women are expected to function normally in spite of it. In addition, stress and mood swings directly result from hormone fluctuations. Turning to drugs and alcohol to ease pain and tension is another entry point to addiction among women.
Approaching anyone suffering from the disease of addiction must be done with compassion and an open mind. Realizing the unique struggles of women around substance use can eliminate barriers to care.
How many women have a substance use disorder?
This is an important question. The answer today is very different than what it was a few decades ago. In fact, in a study published in the NIH Library of Medicine, the ratio between men and women with an SUD has gone from 5:1 to 3:1 since the 1980s. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which said that 41 million women in the U.S. suffer from a mental health concern, a substance use disorder, or both. Seven and a half million women struggle with drug abuse, and 12 million with alcohol abuse.
These statistics, combined with the fact that women are even less likely than men to seek help for their SUD, are evidence that understanding substance abuse in women is critical for researchers, therapists, physicians, families, and loved ones to join forces in shifting the tide and ensuring women receive the appropriate care for their addiction.
What are the struggles for women in recovery?
Women often turn to substances in order to cope with mental health challenges, past trauma, and stress. This is called self-medication and is dangerous for many reasons. Self-medicating can lead quickly to abuse and addiction, doesn’t treat symptoms effectively as a prescribed medication could, and won’t address the underlying issues, which are best done in treatment with licensed therapists who specialize in addiction.
Reasons women don’t seek treatment include:
- Cost and lack of health insurance: Since many women earn less than men and are less likely to be hired in upwardly mobile professions with health coverage, they often can’t afford rehab.
- Lack of time: Women report that between jobs and child-rearing commitments, they simply can’t do rehab. The cost of childcare or of taking time off work to enter treatment also affects women disproportionately.
- Stigma: Women are community-minded and often depend on one another for support. The fear of alienating others who might judge them for having an SUD is often cited as a reason for not getting needed help.
If a woman is fortunate enough to access professional addiction treatment and support, the vulnerability they feel being completely transparent and open—which is the only way to heal—often relates to the presence of men in rehab. Thus, a gender-specific treatment program for women provides a feeling of safety while they learn to trust the process and do the work away from the male gaze.
Enroll in a substance abuse program for women in NC at Insight Recovery Center today
Insight Recovery Center offers intensive evidence-based treatment in a partial hospitalization program (PHP), offered in a gender-specific setting for women.
Our clinicians understand the differences between women and men when it comes to addiction and recovery. We will provide you with the safety, compassion, and professionalism you need to start your recovery. Reach out at 828.826.1376 or by completing our convenient online contact form to help your loved one begin recovery today.