The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports there are more men than women receiving treatment for substance use disorders. Women may have different substance use disorder histories than men, and they can also experience different co-occurring disorders including depression and physical illness. Women and men have different needs while in treatment and in recovery. If you’re looking for a women’s addiction treatment center Northern IL trusts, Northern Illinois Recovery has experience and can help.
What are the benefits of gendered rehab for women?
Women can enter substance use treatment with more emotional, social, and medical challenges than men. Part of this is based in social factors, and part in biological differences. Women can become dependent on drugs or alcohol more quickly than men because of their differing body chemistry.
Women also experience emotional and social barriers to treatment. Pregnant and parenting mothers may fear their children will be taken away if they enter treatment. NIDA also reports that women are more at risk of dropping out of treatment because of a lack of childcare and home care responsibilities.
Responding sensitively to women’s emotional, social, and substance use needs is one of the benefits of gendered rehab for women. They can participate in women-only 12-step groups or other peer support groups. They can also receive the following types of evidence-based treatment in an all-female environment:
- Regular and intensive outpatient treatment
- Residential rehab
- Group and individual therapy
- Medically-supervised detox
What are the benefits of gendered rehab for men?
In an all-male environment, some men report feeling more comfortable opening up about their feelings. Many substance use disorder treatment programs or peer groups began in all-male environments, including 12-step groups. As more women began to seek treatment, co-ed groups and rehab programs became the norm.
Men have different social, cultural, and physical responses to drug and alcohol use and recovery from women. They can bond with other men in an all-male rehab. An all-male environment can help to increase peer support and strengthen bonds in sober living experiences. Like women, men can benefit from group and individual therapy and other evidence-based treatment methods.
Which is better: gendered rehab vs. coed rehab?
Both types of rehab can benefit anyone who’s seeking to stop using drugs and alcohol and heal their body and mind. Men and women may each benefit from gender specific rehab programs, because their substance use and other health histories differ. The way male and female bodies respond to substance use differs, and men and women have different social and emotional responses and needs.
Other specialized types of rehab services can respond to different cultural needs, including differing ethnicities, different age groups, including young adults and older adults, and LGBTQ youth and adults. Northern Illinois Recovery understands the benefits of gendered rehab and offers rehab services for men and for women, along with coed rehab programs. Contact us at 855.786.1978 to learn whether a gendered rehab vs. coed rehab will be the best fit for you or your loved one combating a substance use disorder.
