Helping Women Suffering from Drug Addiction: Needs, Barriers, and Challenges PMC

While the number of overdose deaths has soared to a staggering prediction of nearly 110,000 deaths each year, states are beginning to receive much-needed funding to address the crisis. As part of opioid settlements with drugmakers, distributors, and pharmacies, cities and towns have begun to receive what will be hundreds of millions of dollars for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery. For diagnosis of a substance use disorder, most mental health professionals fentanyl and xylazine test strips use criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association. Our goal is to help people find the best addiction treatment program that suits their individual needs whether that be close to home, out-of-state, or at a facility with specific program offerings. If you or a loved one are looking for a women’s drug rehab program that can help you make lasting changes to live a life free of substances, we can help.

1. In addition to validating her experience, it is important to help facilitate a safety plan that may necessitate additional referrals to domestic violence hotlines and shelters.
2. In addition, sexuality is one of the primary areas that women say change the most between substance abuse or dependence and recovery and is a major trigger for relapse (Covington 2008a, 1999a, 2007).
3. Most mothers who are in substance abuse treatment feel a strong connection with their children and want to be good mothers.
4. All have distinctive physical defects, including cleft palates and unusually small heads.

Sex, Gender, And The Intersectionality Of Race

Two recent reports inspired me to write about the topic of women getting treatment for substance use disorder (SUD). By filling these knowledge gaps and deploying appropriate methodologic strategies, researchers can continue to generate evidence-based interventions that will positively impact the lives of WWUD. From the perspectives of public health and implementation science, women-focused interventions then need to be translated from more controlled field settings that assess efficacy to real-world practice to assess effectiveness.

Charitable Care & Financial Assistance

This includes a mother’s self-criticism or depression when evaluating current parenting as well as her belief that she deserves blame for inadequate parenting, or feeling that her children’s behavior is an attack because they had inadequate parenting. Withdrawal is at best uncomfortable and at worst dangerous, notably for those addicted to alcohol, benzodiazepines, and heroin. Detox programs, which vary in length but most commonly last about a week, may be part of a residential rehab program or administered in inpatient hospital settings. Whilst acknowledging the support she received from staff in respect to the issue at hand (receiving assistance with computer access), underlying the initial sentiment is a belief that treatment staff cannot really understand the circumstances these women face. Managing eligibility criteria, holding a place on wait list and maintaining contact with services were all impacted by issues related to housing instability.

4. Systems-level and structural factors

Results showed that the barriers are mainly stigma but also deficits in the therapeutic offerings for this group. The primary need was identified as the introduction of appropriate drug policies, and the challenges, unfortunately, are the still-reported gender inequalities. To improve the situation of women, regular attention to these issues and the need to include them in national health strategies is essential. When working with women with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders, substance abuse treatment counselors need to apply the tools of the mental health professional, especially in knowing when and where to refer clients with co-occurring disorders.

The following section provides an overview of co-occurring issues and highlights three disorders that are prevalent in substance abuse treatment among women. For more in-depth coverage of treatment for those with co-occurring substance use and mental disorders, review TIP 42 Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons With Co-Occurring Disorders (CSAT 2005e). Women remain under-represented in addiction treatment, comprising less than a third of clients in treatment services.

Should women address anything specific in early recovery?

It requires treatment by a clinician who is trained in treating traumatic stress disorders. Women who score high on a posttraumatic stress assessment should be referred for treatment to address their PTSD concurrently with their substance abuse treatment. Counselors should be candid when they cannot provide the treatment the client needs and may need to make a referral. Women with anxiety disorders often seek medical help for physical (somatic) complaints such as fatigue, trembling, palpitations, sweating, irritability, sleeping problems, eating problems, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain, or dizziness. The symptoms of substance use and anxiety disorders are easily confused; therefore, abstinence must be established before a woman in substance abuse treatment is diagnosed with anxiety disorder. However, this does not preclude providers from working with women to develop coping skills and strategies to manage the symptoms of anxiety.

Poor literacy and socio-cultural context intersect with addiction to prohibit this group of women from being active participants in their own treatment and recovery. One participant noted that sometimes she just did not understand the language that was used by services and clinicians, another noted that she did not even know “what to search for” when she had wanted to engage with treatment services. The existing structure of treatment systems demand “a life in order,” and this is unrealistic for women living with homelessness. Intersectional stigma posits that individuals may experience stigma resulting from the dynamic interaction of multiple marginalized social identities (48, 49). Recently, intersectional stigma has been used to explore the experiences of women in this space (50).

For review of sexual identity stages of development and its relationship to substance abuse, see A Provider’s Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals (CSAT 2001b, pp. 61–67). All good rehab programs work with patients to set up an aftercare plan that supports the process of recovery in the real world. Variably called peer support, self-help, or mutual help organizations, the social support of peers is one of the best-known addiction recovery mechanisms. Meetings of such groups exist in communities worldwide and are free to all who attend.

The acute phase is dominated by the physiological effects of the sudden stoppage, which typically includes intense substance craving. Treatment during this phase provides monitoring and symptomatic relief of the intense discomfort, and patients may benefit dextromethorphan abuse from the use of medication to dampen drug craving. Treatment programs usually have multiple elements addressing the many facets of overcoming addiction, healing the damage to body and mind, rebuilding a life, and finding direction for the future.

When drunk or high, many women neglect to protect themselves against STDs or to make sure they do not use contaminated needles (Evans et al. 2003; Pugatch et al. 2000). Often women with substance use disorders find themselves in relationships with men who are also chemically dependent, thereby increasing the risk that their partner may have STDs or are HIV positive. In addition, rates of other infectious diseases among women with substance use disorders tend to be higher than among other female populations (CSAT 1993c; Grella et al. 1995).

The artist completed a confidentiality form, attended the focus group, and proceeded to visually summarize the information collected via a digital platform. The second, more traditional method, was the audio-visual recording of the focus group. The recording was transcribed verbatim by DR and reviewed by TM and SC for accuracy. This study was a qualitative research project undertaken at a specialist public Australian addiction treatment center, Turning Point, as part of a broader service development initiative aiming to address women’s needs in care.

The focus group ran for approximately 90 min and was led by SA, with support from DR and TM. Seven women were recruited; all participants were over the age of 18 years and had experience with addiction treatment services. Three women attended the clinical service on-site, two women were in residential rehabilitation units [accessing devices provided by the service (i.e., tablet)] and two were in private accommodation; using their own devices.

The addictive nature of these medications — combined with societal pressures and stigmas — creates a perfect storm for addiction. Prescription drug addiction is an escalating crisis that disproportionately affects women, leading to severe health consequences and devastating impacts on their lives. This issue — often overshadowed by other forms of substance abuse — requires urgent attention and understanding to address its root causes and implement effective solutions. In this article, we will explore the various ways prescription drug addiction devastates women’s health, examining the physical, mental and social repercussions of this pervasive problem. Eating disorders need to be viewed in a biopsychosocial context that addresses biological or organic factors, a social component (influence of media and other cultural images enforcing standards of slimness for women), and psychological issues. Eating disorders are correlated with growing up in dysfunctional families where substance abuse occurs (van Wormer and Askew 1997).

Within these progressive policies, however, women-specific services were limited to expanding treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women (United States Congress, 2016). Although much has been achieved in understanding the perinatal and postnatal effects of SUD through focused research, overall these topics do not treat alcohol use abuse and depression women as persons who need treatment. The counselor addresses trauma issues when the woman is ready and functioning at a level where it is safe for her to explore the trauma; timing is directed by the client. The counselor helps the client identify when she is beginning to feel overwhelmed and how she can slow the process down.