Women’s Recovery

Women, Drug Rehab Programs, Drug Treatment Centers and Treatment Methodologies

Women's residential drug treatment centers provide a gender-specific, multidisciplinary approach to facilitate recovery from addiction. Gender-specific recovery programs are especially important as women tend to experience specific issues that should be dealt with in a therapeutic setting without their male counterparts.

Women's treatment programs are specifically geared toward the individual needs of women. Substance abuse in women has a distinctive etiology, disease progression and specific treatment needs. A growing body of research shows that substance abuse among women and the issues surrounding their abuse differs from that of men, requiring a specialized set of services. A recent Institute of Medicine report highlighted gender as an important variable that should be considered when designing a treatment plan.


"The Center for Health Statistics states that drug and alcohol abuse-related illnesses will claim the lives of approximately 200,000 American women this year. To put this in proper perspective, this number is more than four times the number of women who will die of breast cancer. Ironically, much of the American public has thought of drug and alcohol abuse as a male's problem, even though women have been troubled with drug and alcohol problems for centuries."

A gender-specific treatment center can provide a safe place to recover and regain control over your life.

Finding the Right Program

No one women's drug rehab center is exactly the same. Many issues for women are different then men and should be addressed at the treatment center you are considering. Women with children have many different issues to address when seeking treatment. This difficult area so often prevents a woman from asking for help or identifying themselves that they have a problem. Many treatment centers can include the children in treatment either onsite or through other stand alone programs that work with families.

Women in Recovery Drug Treatment Program Methods

The latest empirical studies on female substance abusers identify certain addiction consequences that correlate much more highly to women drug addicts and alcoholics than their male counterparts. Among these are low self-esteem, lack of traditional job skills, depression and, by far the most important, lack of a social support network and a strong value system. Women's drug and alcohol treatment centers take into account all of these characteristics when analyzing the appropriate treatment modalities and therapies for a female drug addict or alcoholic in gender specific drug rehabilitation program setting.

Therapeutic interventions include individual or group counseling and psychotherapy, and treatment services are usually provided by trained, certified professional therapists. Most therapeutic intervention programs rely on cognitive-based therapy which addresses irrational thinking and attempts to restructure thought processes.

Psychodrama treatment is a form of group therapy in which patients explore emotionally charged subjects and events by acting them out in a spontaneous dramatic play, directed by a professionally trained therapist. After acting them out, the director helps the patient gain greater insight into the problems and issues raised by the play.

Support groups are usually conducted by a member of a recovery group with the assistance of prepared materials by a national organization. The most well known support groups are Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Most support groups are modeled on the Twelve Steps of AA and rely on faith in a "higher power" to assist in achieving goals.

Drug and Alcohol Detoxification is a treatment program of planned withdrawal which may or may not include medication to assist in withdrawal. Length of detoxification depends on the substance ingested and the methods used for detoxification. Detoxification without other treatment has not been found to be effective in maintaining sobriety.

Equine-assisted therapy combines the use of horses and experiential therapy. Horses, with their intuitive and sensitive nature, mirror what they receive from people, providing powerful insights and learning experiences in a therapeutic setting. Through one's relationship with the horse and the use of metaphors, equine therapists will facilitate the process of awareness and change for each individual.

Anger management treatment helps counselors teach anger management techniques in a group setting through a 12-week cognitive behavioral intervention. The treatment addresses the anger cycle, conflict resolution, assertiveness skills and anger control plans.

Treatment programs depends on the type of drug, client background, length of abuse, motivation for treatment, environment and social support play a part in determining the most appropriate treatment intervention. It's important to receive one-on-one counseling with a trained certified counselor or therapist as well as group and education treatment when receiving alcohol or drug treatment.

Yoga is a way of life, an integrated system of education for the body, mind and inner spirit. This art of living was perfected and practiced in India thousands of years ago but, since yoga deals with universal truths; its teachings are as valid today as they were in ancient times. Therefore the practice of yoga in women's drug and alcohol treatment and recovery has become invaluable in the recovery process for many women throughout the world.

Art Therapy offers women a creative way to express trauma and life experiences associated with drug addiction and alcoholism. Whether it's lifestyle, past pain and trauma, current bi-polar or codependency issues, relationship issues or any other specific issue that women might be challenged to share in a mixed gender group, women's drug and alcohol treatment centers answer the call.

Please call us at Drug and Alcohol Rehab Services at 1-855-561-1900 to learn more about women's specific drug and alcohol treatment and recovery.

Also visit Outreach Services for related information