Did you know that 26.6 million women aged 18 and older reported using an illicit drug in the last 12 months? Or that about 13% of all women reported binge drinking and 25% of the group says they do it at least once a week? What might be more worrisome is that the figures are even higher for younger women!
Young women can put themselves at serious risk when they become addicted to drugs and alcohol. Unlike men, there can be more serious health consequences for women when they fall victim to addiction.
First, remember, that addiction is a disease that can strike anyone regardless of their background. Second, know, that there are plenty of people that want to help you treat your addiction. A big part of that is healing from the inside. Once we address what is going on in our minds, then we can treat any outward health symptoms that come from our addiction.
Differences Between Women And Men
According to federal data, there are many different ways drugs impact women more than men. They include:
- Women use substances differently than men, such as needing less to become addicted
- They can respond to substances differently, such as being more likely to relapse
- The change in brain chemistry can change more than men
- Women who are victims of domestic violence are at an increased risk of substance abuse
- Women who use substances are more likely to have panic attacks, anxiety or depression
Women also face the potential of harming infants when they use substances while pregnant or breastfeeding. Some of the symptoms can be short term and then there are life-long birth defects or health challenges for the baby. Substance abuse among new moms can even lead to the infant’s death.
Treating Substance Abuse
Treating substance abuse can be challenging no matter the person’s gender. For women, it can be added difficulty because of the increased risk of mental health conditions that come along with substance abuse.
In treating substance abuse, a medical professional will help the patient stop their substance use and figure out why they turned to the vice. This can happen in rehab or therapy sessions. The hope is to understand why we use substances, such as drugs or alcohol, to help us cope. Then we gain the understanding and tools to avoid turning to them again when we experience triggers in the real world.
There is also treating any mental health conditions. This is done through dual-diagnosis care in young women’s addiction treatment. Here, we look to treat mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression that led to or grew because of substance abuse. By treating both and giving the tools to cope, we can increase our chances of staying successful on the road to recovery. It can help us in our treatment and living our sober life.
It is crucial to heal inside our body and any health conditions that develop because of our substance abuse.
If you are ready to start treatment, reach out to our staff at Momentum today. Our staff can talk to young women about their addiction to drugs or alcohol. They can also discuss the various treatment options and how to start your recovery.