Addressing Differences in Drug Rehab for Women

Drug rehab centers take a different approach when treating woman.

Women respond differently to treatment than men do and this is why some rehab centers are not co-ed. Differences in men and women, differences in the way that we respond to treatment and differences in the reasons why men and women use drugs make a one size fits all approach to treatment for both men and women will never work. Drug rehab centers for women address the significant differences between men and women to provide a unique approach to treatment that truly works.

Why Women Use Drugs

Research and studies show that women use drugs for very different reasons than men. Often times, women use drugs because they have been abused physically or sexually in the past or because they are currently in a situation in which they are suffering abuse. As many as 70% of women who use drugs report using the drugs because they are trying to overcome or cover up pain associated with sexual abuse, physical abuse or trauma.

While men often use drugs for similar reasons, the number of men who are addicted to drugs as a result of sexual abuse is typically far lower. Additionally, men do not typically admit to the sexual abuse and are often addicted to drugs for other reasons such as stress, trauma or another cause.

Rehab Centers for Women Build Trust

Women who have been abused either as children or as adults need a way to overcome the lack of trust that the abuse causes. Some of the ways that trust can be built for women in drug rehab centers is by providing them with a sense of community and understanding when in treatment. Rehab centers that provide only treatment for women can help women to feel comfortable, safe and secure while they are getting the mental and physical help that they need to overcome addiction.

Women Only Rehab Centers Address Various Conditions

Rehab Centers for women do not only address addiction to drugs or alcohol. They take into account a number of other factors that could be causing problems mentally, physically and emotionally for the woman in treatment. Family issues are discussed and most times family therapy as well as relationship therapy is provided in women’s rehab centers. Additionally, a treatment program for women will also take into account the need for relapse prevention, the cultural components of a woman’s treatment and other conditions such as eating disorders, problems with image, sexual behavior and parenting concerns. Many of these conditions are not treated or tend to be overlooked in a co-ed rehab center.