The decision to get needed opioid addiction treatment doesn’t come easy, so it’s important to ensure the program you choose can best meet your treatment needs. While addiction works in the same way regardless of a person’s gender, women and men nonetheless contend with different issues in their daily lives. Oftentimes, working through gender-specific issues becomes a central part of the recovery process.
According to the National Center on Biotechnology Information, addressing a person’s specific treatment needs increases the likelihood he or she will remain engaged in the recovery process and follow through on a desire to get well. For these reasons, women considering opioid addiction treatment may want to look into women-based treatment programs as a starting point.
Women-Specific Issues in Addiction
Women who have experienced domestic violence will likely want to attend a women’s only program.
Besides the obvious differences, men and women contend with different types of social and environmental issues that can play into the workings of an addiction problem. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, these differences influence why a person seeks treatment, what motivates him or her to seek treatment and can also determine what types of treatments will work best.
In general, women are more likely to seek addiction treatment help than men. Childcare and pregnancy issues also have a bearing on the types of treatment programs a woman will consider.
Certain types of experiences women go through, such as sexual abuse, domestic violence and post-traumatic stress become strong precursors to drug abuse. Likewise, women coming out of these circumstances may well feel more comfortable inside a women-based opioid addiction treatment program.
Opioid Addiction Treatment Program Options
Women-based opiate addiction treatment programs vary in a number of ways, including:
- Duration
- Intensity level
- Types of addiction treated
- Treatment setting
In spite of these differences, the overall goal of treatment remains the same: continued abstinence from substance abuse.
Residential
A residential women-based program requires a person to reside at the facility for the duration of treatment. Residential opioid addiction treatment programs can vary in duration, with programs running anywhere from a month to three months long. Differences between these programs have to do with program intensity in terms of the range of treatment interventions offered as well as the degree of structure (routines, scheduled treatment sessions, daily responsivities) that exists within a residential setting.
Outpatient
Outpatient women-based programs offer considerably more freedom and flexibility since patients can live at home and schedule treatment around their existing schedules. While flexibility can be convenient, someone coming off moderate and chronic addiction problems requires the type of structured treatment environment available through residential programs. Otherwise, outpatient women-based opioid addiction programs offer the same types of treatment interventions as residential programs, which include:
- Group therapy
- Individual psychotherapy
- Support group work
- Relapse prevention training
- Drug counseling and education
Considerations
Opioid addictions can wreak havoc on your ability to function in everyday life, which can cause any number problems, especially when caring for children. Likewise, opioid addiction can quickly turn a bad situation worse in cases where sexual abuse and/or domestic violence issues exist. Women-based opioid addiction treatment acts as a type of safe haven where women can take back control of their lives from drugs and work through the underlying issues that drive the addiction.
If you or someone you know struggles with opioid addiction and are considering women-based treatment programs, please feel free to call our toll-free helpline at 877-743-0081 (Who Answers?) for more information on addiction and addiction treatment.
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