Alcohol or substance abuse is not specific to an individual’s particular gender, background, race, culture, age or sexual orientation. The issue of substance abuse can happen to anyone, man or woman. However, some people believe that gender specific treatment for women may help to get them over the addiction. Women are generally believed to be the center of the household that everyone revolves around. Communities can also be united based on the relationships and inputs of women. Therefore, some people see women that are addicted to substances as a more serious problem than male addiction. As a consequence, there are now gender specific treatment programs that specifically target women to help them with treatment. This is an innovative idea, as some women will possess different issues than men when it comes to addictions. Women tend to exhibit more symptoms of depression and suicidal tendencies than men. Other symptoms that women tend to display more openly are anxiety, panic attacks and eating disorders. Another aspect of female addictions is that they usually have a driving factor that makes them abuse the substance. This can also be quantified by statistics that show women being faced with issues such as domestic violence. Therefore, one of the first things that will help in recovery is discovering the reason for the substance abuse. In the normal course of activities, treatment centers are largely co-ed and have been very successful. However with the prevalence of many issues that women face, it has become equally important to have specifically targeted programs for women. It is important to note that in some environments a woman may be ashamed of what she has been through and may be embarrassed to share or participate. This is one issue which may inhibit their participation up in a co-ed environment. In a gender specific environment some women will feel more comfortable in expressing themselves and opening up more to therapy. They may feel more secure in this nurturing environment and may even learn something about themselves. The first step in recovery is a realization and admission of a problem. Some women tend to hide their substance abuse and feel ashamed by it. This will only deepen the problem and can lead to it becoming worse. A gender specific treatment for women will help them to recover better and allow them to embrace their womanhood once again. They will be around women who have similar issues – women tend to bond and heal when sharing issues with one another. There are medical and clinical workers with these programs that know how to address woman specific issues. Social, physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of life are evaluated and focused on to help women be reintegrated into society. Women are the nurturers of society so their role is quite exceptional and if they are not functioning because of substance abuse their family will lose out on them. Therefore, the gender specific treatment is a wonderful idea that will help to restore a woman back to her “nature intended” role.
