Guardian Recovery Female-Specific Addiction Treatment
The experience of active addiction is never the same for any two people. This is especially true when it comes to the experiences that women and men have with substance abuse. There are many differentiating factors between women and men, and focused treatment options allow for a much more focused treatment experience overall. For example, women have a higher propensity to suffer from dual-diagnosis disorders than men do, and women tend to develop a physical and psychological dependence on chemical substances over a shorter period of time.
According to an article published by the National Library of Medicine titled “Substance Abuse in Women,” when women finally enter into treatment they typically present with a more complex clinical profile than their male counterparts, often struggling with a greater amount of physical, social, behavioral and psychological issues. Data collected by the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions shows that men are 2.2 times more likely to suffer from a diagnosable drug abuse disorder than women, but that women are significantly more likely to seek treatment for alcoholism and a co-occurring mood or anxiety disorder; 29.7 percent of women who sought treatment simultaneously suffered from a mood disorder (like major depressive disorder), and 26.2 percent of women suffered from an anxiety disorder (like general anxiety disorder or a specific phobia).
If you or a woman you love has been struggling with substance abuse and mental health, our women’s rehab program is an ideal choice. At Guardian Recovery we focus on integrated healing, tackling the physical, emotional and psychological implications of active addiction simultaneously in order to provide the most comprehensive treatment experience available.
The Importance of Individualized Treatment
Substance abuse has a variety of root causes, and these causes differ depending on your personal background, environment, sexual preference, socioeconomic status and gender. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Scientists who study substance abuse in women have discovered that women who use drugs can have issues related to hormones, menstrual cycle, fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause. In addition, women themselves describe unique reasons for using drugs, including controlling weight, fighting exhaustion, coping with pain, and attempts to self-treat mental health problems.”
There is no question that women face a unique set of challenges and issues when it comes to the development of substance abuse and the addiction recovery process. Focused treatment — more specifically, our women’s rehab program — allows for a more in-depth focus on these issues. This ultimately paves the way for a more individualized addiction treatment experience.
Challenges Unique to Women
These challenges include:
- The biological differences that women experience when it comes to substance abuse – The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that women both use and respond to substances differently than men. They often become addicted over a shorter period of time, even when using chemical substances in small amounts. They are also more likely to experience intense cravings and relapse once the treatment process is over.
- The physical effects of substance abuse – Women are more likely than men to visit the emergency room or experience a potentially lethal overdose. They are also more likely to experience physical effects on their hearts and their blood vessels, and undergo changes to the brain. Sex hormones tend to make women more susceptible to the physical impacts of ongoing substance use.
- Domestic abuse and returning to abusive relationships once treatment has concluded – Women who are victims of domestic violence have higher rates of addiction, and many return to violent relationships once inpatient treatment has ended. At Guardian Recovery we help women navigate their relationships, effectively identifying unhealthy — and potentially dangerous — behavioral patterns.
- Triggering life events, such as a miscarriage or the loss of a child, divorce, the death of a spouse or the loss of child custody – These events can easily trigger a return to substance abuse (or lead to the development of substance abuse in the first place). We teach our clients how to deal with all adverse circumstances effectively, through the utilization of healthy coping mechanisms.
- Underlying mental health conditions – There is much evidence supporting the fact that women who suffer from substance abuse have higher rates of mental illnesses like anxiety, panic attacks or depression. At Guardian Recovery we offer dual diagnosis treatment options as part of our women’s rehab program.
The Female-Specific Services We Provide
The services we provide that are unique to our female-specific treatment track include:
- Group therapy – Therapy sessions that focus on female-specific topics, like motherhood, filling the expected role of wife and homemaker (and related pressures), balance a home life and a personal life, abusive domestic partnerships, sexual abuse and trauma, how to deal with emotional relapse triggers that coincide with PMS and more. Breaking women off into a separate group allows for a more safe and focused environment, and allows women to feel comfortable opening up about topics they might not want to discuss in front of members of the opposite sex.
- Individual therapy – Facilitated by a licensed female therapist. Women tend to have an easier time opening up around other women – especially if they have been struggling with unresolved trauma that involves a member of the opposite sex. As part of our women’s rehab program we offer one-on-one therapy sessions with an experienced female therapist, encouraging our clients to be as open and emotionally vulnerable as possible (which leads to a deeper level of mental and emotional healing).
- Female-specific recovery resources – We introduce those in our women’s treatment program to all-female Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and a range of other support groups that were specifically designed by women, for women. We encourage all of our clients to develop a support circle outside of treatment – one that they can rely on for guidance and encouragement once clinical care has come to an end.
- Holistic treatment – For example, as part of our women’s rehab program we offer Nutritional Therapy sessions that focus on what foods to eat to curb the symptoms of PMS, and we offer Yoga Therapy sessions that focus on menstrual cramp relief. Our main priority is equipping women with the tools they need to make it through the challenges they face on a regular basis.
Our Simple Admissions Process
At Guardian Recovery we have developed an admissions process that is both simple and straightforward. We understand that this can be a trying time for everyone involved and we are dedicated to making the entire recovery process as easy and accessible as possible from start to finish. The moment you give us a call we conduct a brief yet comprehensive pre-assessment over the phone, which helps our clinical team determine which level of care is right for you or your loved one. We also offer a free, no obligation health insurance benefit check. Guardian Recovery works closely with most major regional health insurance providers. If you are currently insured but you are unsure as to how much of your treatment experience is covered, reach out to us today. Benefit checks take no more than 10 minutes, and once coverage is determined we set up a date and a time for intake and help facilitate travel plans. If you would like to get started on your own personal journey of recovery or learn more about our women’s rehab program contact us today.
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