Addiction affects people differently and effective addiction treatment has to consider this. One area that’s often overlooked is the impact of gender on addiction. Men and women react differently to both addiction and addiction treatment and substance abuse treatment centers need to cater to gender differences and specificities.
Gender-specific addiction treatment refers to drug and alcohol treatment programs that are designed to treat men and women separately. Since men and women have fundamental social, cultural, and biological differences when it comes to substance abuse, it makes sense to have gender-specific treatments that are sensitive to these issues. Such addiction treatment programs address the unique needs of each gender in a supportive and comfortable environment.
How Addiction Affects Genders Differently
Addiction research has shown that there are differences between men and women when it comes to substance abuse. These gender differences exist in the choice of substance e.g. more men are likely to use marijuana and alcohol while women are more likely to abuse prescription drugs.
There are also differences in why women and men start using substances. Men tend to use alcohol or drugs to gain benefits such as improved sex drive or performance, better concentration, or increased sociability. Women on the other hand often turn to substance use to self-medicate or escape traumatic experiences or troubled relationships. Additionally, women often start taking substances at lower doses than men but often end up escalating to addiction more quickly than men.
Benefits of Gender-Specific Treatment
These include:
- Offering specialized treatment that meets each gender’s unique emotional and psychological issues.
- More comfortable treatment where clients can interact, relate and receive support from same-gender peers. This helps them bond and trust more quickly than they would in a mixed-gender setting.
- There are fewer distractions thanks to minimizing sexual tension between male and female clients.
- Group therapy is more effective as clients are more comfortable opening up and sharing with the same gender. For instance, women are more comfortable talking about pregnancy, motherhood, and certain traumas (e.g. sexual trauma) with fellow women.
- With gender-sensitive addiction treatment programs, clients feel more included, heard, and fulfilled, increasing the impact and effectiveness of the program.
Gender-Sensitive Treatment at Grand Falls Center for Recovery
At Grand Falls Center for Recovery, we focus on providing safe and comfortable addiction treatment services to those struggling with drugs and alcohol. Our addiction treatment facility in Missouri provides inpatient treatment, detox, dual diagnosis, and aftercare planning for all who need it.
We offer gender-specific, evidence-based addiction treatment programs that are tailored to the emotional and medical needs of men and women, making it possible for our clients to get the most from their treatment. Additionally, our client-focused approach coupled with our qualified and experienced staff means that we provide the best care to help patients conquer their addictions.
Contact us today and let us help you rebuild a life free of addiction.