Female-Specific Treatment Options

As SAMHSA discusses, many women abuse drugs or alcohol to cope with trauma and loss related to relationships with romantic, or once romantic, partners (female and male partners included). According to one study, a woman’s substance abuse is usually connected to her relationship with her partner, therefore achieving sobriety but maintaining the relationship can present a relapse risk. SAMHSA advises clinicians to set aside their own opinions about the unhealthy relationship a patient may presently be in and to motivate the patient to honestly examine the relationship.

Clinicians are also advised to be mindful of any financial dependence that a woman may have on a partner as well as any issues related to children the couple may have. Safety must always be the top priority, and in cases of domestic violence, clinicians will need to be prepared to provide referrals to domestic violence professionals as well as shelters. Lastly, where safety is not an issue, clinicians should consider the pros and cons of involving the partner in the female substance abuser’s recovery program.

Healthy sexual relations are an important factor in one’s feelings of self-worth. Drug abuse is a major challenge to a healthy sex life. Further there is a stereotype of female substance abusers which holds that they are promiscuous, although the same stigma is generally not associated with male drug abusers. This stereotyping can put drug-abusing women at risk of being the victims of sexual misconduct as well as damaging their self-image and body identity.

A woman’s perception of her sexuality may change when she recovers but not always with a positive result. As SAMSHA reports, in one study, female drug abusers reported that sexuality was one of the main areas of change in their life during the period of time from drug dependence to sobriety, and this change proved to be a major relapse trigger. To counteract this tendency, SAMHSA advises clinicians to work with female patients to tease out connections between drug abuse and sexuality, sexual identity, sexual abuse, body image and any fears surrounding sexual activity.

Drug treatment for women with children must take into account the woman’s parenting role. Female drug abusers who are also parents are at risk for under-treatment of drug abuse because they may lack child care or harbor a fear that authorities will take custody of the children (men who are the primary caregivers for their children could also face these issues). A woman with children will often experience parenting as central to her identity.

SAMHSA recommends that treatment for these women includes therapy that addresses their maternal role and provides for the physical and mental health care needs of the children; addiction treatment specialists may have to collaborate with an appropriate child welfare service provider. As SAMHSA notes, research supports that women in drug rehab most often report that they want to be good mothers. This desire can motivate recovery and help to keep a female patient in treatment.

As the SAMHSA report points out, there are numerous considerations and treatment recommendations involved in drug rehab for women. A common theme, however, is learning about the woman’s family arrangement and social network in order to address any obligations, such as child care, which she may have. In some instances, it is enough that drug treatment addresses drug abuse. At other times, there may be additional concerns at issue that require even greater sensitivity in providing treatment services.